


A Pound Of Flesh

by 50ShadesOfGrell, little_miss_shinigami (rosexwald)



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Violence, Bloodplay, Blow Jobs, Canon Trans Character, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Drama & Romance, Gretsu - Freeform, Hair-pulling, Kuroshitsuji/Tokyo Ghoul Crossover, Other, Romance, Scent Kink, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-01 07:25:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2764718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50ShadesOfGrell/pseuds/50ShadesOfGrell, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosexwald/pseuds/little_miss_shinigami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At last he found her.  Sitting at the bar, wrapped in fiery red from head to toe, long, silky hair draped nonchalantly over the pale skin of her shoulders.  <i>La déesse</i>; the promise of something exciting, the promise of something <i>delicious</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. La Dame Rouge

It was well into the evening by now, which in late November meant that it was already pitch dark out, the streets illuminated by the artificial white-blue glow that emanated from almost every building the reaper walked past.  These city lights made the sky seem like a plain black sheet, not a single star visible.  If there was one thing that Grell Sutcliff really disliked about this new modern age, it was the lighting.  She had stopped noticing it so much now, but occasionally she would remember how the streets of London used to look at night; the moon and stars providing a clear and natural glow, along with the peacefully dim lanterns and their little fires.  Besides, these electric lights were so harsh and unflattering.  Almost everyone looked beautiful in the moonlight or by candle light, she thought.

There was a sharp chill in the air, biting at her gloved fingers and making her every breath visible in the air in front of her.  It wasn’t unusual for the redhead to be wandering down the streets of London by herself on the weekends.  In fact, it had become sort of a regular thing these days.  Although everything was harsher and less natural, it was also much cleaner and less… _old fashioned_.  Humans had had some very interesting developments over the decades, and now it was actually more entertaining here than back home.  Grell rather enjoyed wandering aimlessly until she found somewhere that caught her eye.  She had met many interesting people this way, and made some… _unique_ memories.

Eventually, she came upon a rather elegant looking building with facade lighting of several different colours making it quite an eye-catching sight.  As she came closer, she noticed two very large bald men guarding the entrance, refusing admission to the vast majority of people, even the young women.   _Why would they turn those girls away?_ she found herself thinking, _That’s not usually how these places work, is it?_  Most likely it was one of those exclusive VIP clubs for the ridiculously wealthy.  Whatever it was, it had aroused her curiosity.

As it didn’t seem like that she would be able to charm her way in, she stepped into a nearby alleyway, ducking in behind a rubbish skip and, well… going full Reaper mode.  As she stepped back into the street, completely invisible to the human eye, she very carefully and quietly made her way past the queue and slipped between the two bouncers unnoticed.  As she tried to find the ladies’ room, she took great care not to allow her heels to make too much noise.  Not that it would have made much of a different with how loud the music was.

Eventually, she located the Ladies’, stepping into a cubicle and then allowing herself to become visible again, before exiting quickly and making for the main room.

It would seem her hunch had been correct; the place seemed to be filled with the classiest of classy, all seemingly in their 20s and dripping with proof of their wealth.  Jewellery, designer clothing… she even saw one woman with a small dog in her handbag.  There _had_ to have been laws against that.

She adjusted her sunglasses (she had taken to wearing large, dark sunglasses sometimes, in place of her usual red frames; she didn’t need them these days anyway what with this new _corrective eye surgery_ the humans had come up with, but they were part of the reaper uniform, so she kept them), and began strutting calmly towards the bar, carrying an air of confidence as though she owned the place.  When she reached the bar, she was surprised by how few people were crowded around it.  Most clubs in London had you waiting about 15 minutes just to get served.  She slipped off her gloves and her large red coat, revealing a rather slim-fitting scarlet cocktail dress, and draped the coat over the chair before sitting down.  She never was a fan of checking her items in at the door.

❈

Of all the places he ever visited, London turned out to be the least satisfying so far.  Not that the city itself wasn’t beautiful, he could of course appreciate its charm, the wonderful mix of history and modern chic was rather to his liking.  But the content, oh the content… the content was hopeless.  London was filled with incredibly dull people.  It was nearly impossible to find someone worth attention, the lack of finesse was literally tangible in the air, and it was taking everything from him not to sigh deeply in annoyance every five seconds.  He was only restraining himself from it because that would mean inhaling the terrible, flat, frustratingly sickening aroma of people in this city.  He wasn’t some stray cat that came here to dine in a sewer.

Normally he would be sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by the gold youth gathered in the place, but this time he chose a lounge in the corner, a little darkish and distant.  A colorful drink in a martini glass was standing before him, untouched.  He only ordered it to keep up appearances, his finger lazily playing with the sugar decorating the rim of the glass.  The whole evening he tried to find even as much as a trace of something delicious in the smells surrounding him, but the scent was truly sickening and so, so repetitive.  How dull.  How awfully dull.  London, apparently, indeed was not a place for him.  Shame, he was promising himself a lot coming here.

He stood up heavily, abandoning the drink and deciding that it was time to go back to the hotel.  Once again he shall go to sleep hungry.  He didn’t even hope to meet someone on his way back.  This city was a hopeless disaster, ah _malheur terrible_.

Even as the promising, new aroma tickled his nostrils, he didn’t stop in his tracks.  He passed the bar, and was heading for the changing room to take his coat and leave, completely ignoring it because he knew it would bring him only disappointment once again.  A few times before, he thought he had found someone special, someone extraordinary, someone _delicious_ , only to then discover that his hunger was making his mind playing tricks with him, misjudging a completely common scent for something he may have been looking for.  In such a crowded place, it was easy to mix up scents of different people together, and be fooled.  Not for him, of course, not usually at least.  He was flattering himself to be a true _gourmet_ , his nose trained to recognize the most delicate and unique aromas, but at this point, he was so frustrated with the fruitless London visitation, that he was starting to forget himself.  What had this awful city done to him?

His arm was already sliding into the sleeve of his coat as he instinctively closed his eyes and turned his head in a direction where the smell was coming from.  Stopping his movements, he tilted his head and sniffed the air a couple more times just to make sure.  It was not going away.   _It was not going away!_  Ah, finally, finally, could it be possible that his efforts would be rewarded with the first, and perhaps only, person in London that could serve his appetite?  He put his coat back on the hanger hastily, and followed the scent that seemed to caress his face as a pair of delicate hands, urging him to follow.

At last he found her.  Sitting at the bar, wrapped in fiery red from head to toe, long, silky hair draped nonchalantly over the pale skin of her shoulders. _La déesse_ ; the promise of something exciting, the promise of something _delicious_.  He closed his eyes once again and drew in the smell deeply, corners of his mouth twitching up to form a satisfied smirk upon his face, only seconds later to be disturbed by a frown.  He blinked his eyes open, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms over his chest, fingers of one palm nervously tapping against his forearm.  Something was odd.

The scent itself was exquisite, truly _séduisant_ , but it was not a scent of a woman.  To be fair, it was, but not completely, not clearly, not… only.  But more importantly, it was not even a scent of a human.  But also not a ghoul.

The frown quickly disappeared from his face, and the smile tugging on his lips grew even wider.  He felt a shiver running down his spine, making his whole body tremble and his fingers twitch, as he brought them up to his mouth to bite lightly at his fingertips in order to calm himself down.   _Merveilleux_ , something new, something _completely new_!  He couldn’t even begin to imagine what sort of delicate, toes-curling taste could hide behind such an intoxicating, tempting smell.  Neither man nor woman, not a human and not a ghoul, nothing he had ever seen, smelled or _tasted_ before.  He met nonbinary people before, of course he did.  But no one like that. They were always a mixture, and it was interesting and exciting, but usually one scent was highly dominant.  Here… here that was not the case.

The mysterious red lady, _la dame rouge_ , smelled like passion, like primary strength, like wind sweeping through the battlefield, bringing the scent of blood and death. And in the same time, like the most delicate flowers that happen to have the sharpest thorns, like milk mixed with wine…  The powerful scent of a femme fatale mixed in perfect balance with the most delicate aroma of an innocent boy… or the other way around.  Whatever it was, it made him weak in his knees, and he had to lean against the wall, his fingers scraping at the velvety pattern of the wallpaper, in order to restrain from touching himself there and then.  A burning blush crept up his neck above the collar of his shirt, and his whole face was burning, no… his whole body, burning and trembling with need.  With the next breath it hit him once again that atop of that, she was not even human, and he let out a weak moan that went unnoticed, drowning in the loud music, but it was still there.  Helpless, hungry, needy, _embarrassing_ frankly, but he couldn’t care in that moment.  He licked his lips as saliva watered his mouth, his eyes half-lidded, and bottom lip trembling, and he knew that _he must devour her_.

Excitement of a hunt, and a promise of feast awaiting after, made his focus come back.  He straightened his jacket, and his tie, and ran his fingers through his hair, fixing a friendly smile upon his face, before approaching the bar.

"Bloody Mary." he called to the bartender, as he slipped onto the stool next to Grell, ordering the drink only for its name.  He always enjoyed how it sounded, but wished it could have been made from blood rather than tomato juice.  Not that he didn’t try that, but one couldn’t expect something like this to be actually served in a bar, after all.

It was hard not to steal a glance upon his _dame_ ’s face, but he managed not to look at her.  It wasn’t his style to show too much interest at first.  Building up the tension was making it so much more… fun.

The redhead felt an unsettlingly unfamiliar presence joining her own at the bar; something unusual, a bit… confusing, and somewhat _predatory_.  It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at first.  Not human, not reaper, not even demon.  After a moment, she allowed her eyes to cautiously lift and steal a glance in the direction that this new, strange feeling was coming from.  What her eyes settled upon appeared to be a normal human man.  Well… perhaps _normal_ wasn’t the appropriate term.  He was definitely far from that; remarkably well dressed, and... admittedly quite handsome.  Well… _very_ handsome, actually… and like everyone else in this place, he seemed to wear his wealth like a medal.  But… he appeared human at least.  Then again, so did she.  So did every demon she’d ever met.

He could almost feel her gaze resting upon him, wrapping itself around his form, and sending little sparks through his spine.  Carefully, he raised the left corner of his mouth in a small, self-confident smirk, minding not to make it too obvious while she was looking.  

She had intended to just steal a quick, cautious glance, but she hadn’t expected such an eye-catching person.  Her gaze lingered on him for perhaps a bit too long before she quickly averted it to stare down at her own drink - also a Bloody Mary, unsurprisingly - and once she did, Shuu casually propped his elbow against the bar, fingertips playfully nipping at the celery sticking out of the glass.

She stayed silent and still beside him for several minutes, sipping at her drink through a straw, perhaps drinking a bit faster than usual just to occupy herself.  After a short while, she dared to steal another glance in the stranger’s direction, noticing that he still hadn’t touched his own drink.   _Now, there’s something_ …

Silently counting seconds in his mind, he waited for her move.  And he knew it would come, he knew her senses stood on attention, he could smell it on her.

It was then that she decided to speak up, turning in her stool ever so slightly in his direction, one leg crossed delicately over the other, and at that moment Shuu knew that the hunt had begun for real.

"It’s never a good sign when a man at a bar orders a drink and doesn’t drink it." she said in a voice significantly more composed than she felt.  "Should I be worried?"  She gave him a calm smile, cocking an eyebrow quizzically.  

His fingers that were playing with the celery moved to touch his face as he leaned his head to the side.  “Perhaps he simply didn’t come here for a drink.” he replied, disappointed that her face was covered by the big sunglasses.  He really had hoped he would get to see all of her at last.  Well, there would come a time for that as well, soon.

"I didn’t mean to worry you, _ma chérie_.  Forgive me, and let me buy you another drink as an apology.” he offered as his eyes slid down her body to take in her delightfully lean form wrapped in red fabric.  He didn’t miss the flat chest, but he didn’t let his gaze linger there too long, smoothly lowering his look to her long legs before his eyes returned to stare past the sunglasses intensely.

It would be such shame to break this delicate skin, but oh how wonderful it would feel to run his tongue up her leg before sinking his teeth in the firm flesh of her thigh.

At that moment, she found herself feeling immensely grateful for the concealment of the large, black sunglasses.  Her eyes were having a bit of trouble settling on him for too long without looking away, blinking rapidly, the redhead already feeling more flustered than she had in quite a while.  Of course, she hid it well, being an actress by nature and a liar by nurture.

The visible parts of her face showed no signs of expression other than the slightest hint of a smirk that she intended, and she turned away from him then, lifting her glass, placing the straw between her lips and sucking up the rest of her drink slowly, leaving a teasingly long pause of silence.  

Stone cold, distant, every move carefully calculated.  This was not what he was expecting from his _dame rouge_ at all.  The only possible explanation was obvious - she was as well trying not to show too much interest at the very beginning.  And that only meant that she was indeed interested. _Eccellente_.

Finally, she sat down her empty glass and turned to face him again with a smile.  “You don’t worry me, dear, but I’ll take that drink.” she said, barely loud enough to be heard over the music.  “Although, I must warn you, if you plan on getting me drunk, then you’d better be up for a challenge.  I can hold my liquor remarkably well.”

His face twisted in an overdone, fake pout, his fingers tapping lightly at his jaw, “Ow, such an insult coming from such beautiful lips.  It hurts me, truly.  I do not intend to make any lady drunk in my presence.  It is below my dignity to act so lowly.”  He looked over at the bar tender and pointed at Grell’s glass with his long finger, nodding to him meaningfully.  “Besides, I would never have decided to take a seat next to you if I hadn’t thought you worthy of my utmost respect.” he concluded as the new drink was placed before Grell.  Every word he said seemed so sincere and confident, yet somehow a bit too carefully thought out, which added a slightly sinister edge to them.  She could feel the dangerous intentions radiating off of him the longer he looked at her, and she couldn’t help but feel slightly excited by it.  Whatever he was, she had never encountered another like him before, and it was far beyond her not to give in to her curiosity.  So she stayed quiet most of the time, allowing him to compliment her and use all the charming lines that he wanted, the redhead only speaking when he asked a question.  It was unlike her to be so passive, but she wanted to observe him more, try and figure out what his game was, what _he_ was.

Applying his most charming smile, showing his perfect white teeth a little, and making small dimples form in his cheeks, he looked at her again, “Although, I fear that I am about to act a little cheaply after all, and use perhaps the most _cliché_ line when I ask… what is a lady like you doing in a place like this?”  He grinned a little wider, a bit more playfully.

"The place looked rather charming from the outside." she answered with a careless shrug.  "I’m starting to think it’s rather pretentious now, if I’m honest.  Everyone here is so _civilised_.  It’s dull, don’t you think?"  She allowed her own smile to widen a bit, but her own teeth were disguised, flat and square, normal human teeth.  She had found over the years that not all attention was good attention, and a mouth full of fangs didn’t always attract the good kind.

The comment made his eyes sparkle with an excitement he couldn’t, and maybe didn’t want to, hide.  He let his smile grow full-wide, making his eyes slightly narrow.  “Very dull indeed.” he agreed, breathing in her delightful scent to savour the moment when he realized she was completely living up to his expectations.

"Lucky me, then, that I met you among this shallow crowd.  I’ve been in London for a few months now, and I lost hope of meeting someone interesting here.  No offence, since for your accent I judge you’re from around here, but English people have disappointed me greatly I must say."  He sighed without losing his smile. He was absolutely _dripping_ with charisma, she found herself thinking, her excitement becoming increasingly difficult to hide.  She managed, though, of course, expression still revealing only the most politely interested of smiles.  At first, though, her smile had seemed fake, like a miserable housewife greeting guests that she hated, or a model in a toothpaste commercial, but the longer she spent in his presence, the more genuine the smile became.  She couldn’t help it.  His every word made her feel flattered and adored, somehow.  The redhead had always been a sucker for that kind of thing.

He let a silence fall between them, only the music seeping from the speakers rhythmically, floating through the air around them.  Each beat vibrated in his chest, or maybe it was just growling in his stomach as Grell’s smell tickled his nostrils.  He tried to distract himself by bringing the celery up to his mouth, taking it between his teeth, careful not to  touch it with his tongue.  

"What is your name, may I ask?" he turned back towards Grell, the most innocent smile playing on his lips, and she felt the caution returning to her.  Was it wise to tell him anything about herself?  Buying herself some time, she lifted her drink and sucked at the straw for a long moment before finally deciding that there was very little he could do with just her name.  She wasn’t, contrary to his deduction, from around here, after all.

"Grell."  She said simply, sitting her glass down.  "And yours?"

He raised his eyebrows in appreciation, as if her name was the most pleasing sound he had ever heard.  Allowing himself to reach out for her hand that rested loosely around the tall glass of her drink, he took her palm gently and sneaked a soft caress as his fingers ran lightly over hers.  She swallowed nervously, her first instinct telling her to pull her hand away, but the softness of his touch made her still.  “I was mistaken then.  You’re not English.  Grell… beautiful name.  Very rare.  An exceptional name for an exceptional person.  German, perhaps?”  She opened her mouth to answer him, but hesitated as he brought her hand up to his lips, placing a courteous kiss just above her knuckles, making her heart flutter a bit, completely catching her off guard and causing her to break her calm and composed facade for a moment.

As he got a chance to have her skin so close, he let his lips linger there a little longer, and discreetly drew in a breath.  He felt his blood rush madly through his body at the sensation, pulsing loudly in his ears, to then escape from his head and pool as a wave of warmth in his lower stomach.  With a heavy heart he pulled away, his breath hitching lightly as her taste lingered on his lips.  Even more exquisite than he had imagined.

"My name is Shuu.  Tsukiyama.  Not a very common name here either." he introduced himself, not missing the changes in her expression.  

Grell found herself sighing slightly as he introduced himself.  Even his name was lovely.  Clearing her throat, she pulled herself together and spoke up again.  "No, not German.  There was some German in the family, that’s all.  I’m still English, born and raised."  There was still that slight predatory vibe that she was getting from him.  His intentions were definitely anything but noble.  And not in a good way, she felt.  She wondered if he had any idea what he was getting himself into.  Then again, did she?

This wasn’t going to work.  She could feel his charms starting to get to her, and she knew too well that she couldn’t trust herself to keep a clear enough head to figure out who or what she was dealing with.

"Well, I hate to just up and leave like Cinderella, but I’d better be off." she said cheerily as she stood up from her seat, grabbing her coat.  "It was a pleasure to meet you, _Monsieur Tsukiyama_.”  It took everything, and then a bit more, for him not to frown at her response.  In the end, he managed to keep up a cheerful front, although inside him a pang of panic and frustration started to burn, and the tongues of their fire seemed to be quickly consuming his carefully maintained composure.

"Ah, so soon?   _Pauvre de moi_!  In the end, I don’t seem to be as lucky tonight as I thought.  Are you sure I cannot interest you with another drink?  If not, do you think I could see you again, anytime soon?” he cooed, trying not to sound desperate but feeling that he was somehow failing, because he _was_ desperate, very desperate not to let this exotic bird fly away.

"Do you really want to leave me all alone in such dull company, Grell?" he attempted to convince her, his utmost charming, and a little sad, smile gracing his face.

"Ah… my heart bleeds for you, dear, but really I must get going."  As soon as she had pulled her coat on, she lifted her drink and took out the straw, licking it clean, and then downing the rest of it straight from the glass.  "If it’s meant to be, then we’ll see eachother again.  For now, _au revoir_ , _mon prince charmant_."  Before he could get another word in, she hurried off, her expression turning serious the moment her back was turned.  Shuu saw her off with his most friendly smile, that disappeared at the same time hers did.

The bouncers gave her a suspicious look as she passed them, probably wondering why they didn’t remember letting in such a unique looking woman.  Once she was a safe distance from the entrance, she looked behind her, hoping that he hadn’t followed her out so quickly.  Something told her, though, that he wouldn’t be staying there for too much longer, so she ducked into that same alleyway as before, keeping a careful eye on the entrance as she waited for him to leave.  She’d wait all night if she had to.  The curiosity was killing her.


	2. Gods & Monsters

_Once she was a safe distance from the entrance, she looked behind her, hoping that he hadn’t followed her out so quickly.  Something told her, though, that he wouldn’t be staying there for too much longer, so she ducked into that same alleyway as before, keeping a careful eye on the entrance as she waited for him to leave.  She’d wait all night if she had to.  The curiosity was killing her._

❈

Letting out an annoyed ‘ _tsk_ ’, Shuu stared down at the useless red drink, so much resembling blood that it only made him angrier.  Such a catch he had, and he let it slip away.  Well, not for long.  He would never forget the scent; if he had to, he would walk all around London, sniffing the air, and he would find her again.  He smiled lightly as he thought of how he would then seep his sweet venom about how it was “meant to be” that they met again.

However, for now, he was left with merely the aftertaste on his lips, and he let his tongue wander along them, trying to have as much of it as he could.  That was it.  He _had_ to eat tonight, he _needed_ it.  She had made him far too aroused to skip dinner after all.  Obviously, he wouldn’t meet anyone in here, this place was done to him.  He wanted someone more like _her_ now, and he couldn’t smell anyone like that in here.  But that was not a problem, he knew places where people of a _different_ sort gathered.

He quickly left the place, just as Grell had suspected, buttoning his coat up in a rush and immediately starting to walk in her direction.  She quickly ducked behind the same skip as before, and then stealthily started after him, keeping a fair distance between them so as to avoid him becoming aware of her presence.  She had no idea of what sort of powers he might have, so she didn’t want to risk detection.  

At first, the streets were crowded enough that she didn’t need to worry about her footsteps giving her away.  However, after a short while of walking, they started to get into a much less populated area, so she quickly ducked into a shop doorway to slide her loud heels off and continue her pursuit more silently.

Shuu’s feet carried him a few blocks ahead, in the direction of the Western districts of London.  Not long after, he entered a club that Grell didn’t recognise, with red, buzzing neon above the entrance, that played ridiculous, irritating music.  She felt herself suddenly overwhelmed with the presence of others like her.  She could sense many of them inside.  Mostly reapers, but there were some other non-human souls that she didn’t recognise the nature of.  This wasn’t good.  She wouldn’t be able to sneak inside, these kinds of people would see her, and she definitely wasn’t about to walk into a place like this alone.

Shuu sniffed around as soon as he came in, and smiled darkly as he encountered the scent of several people similar to Grell.  None of them were even close to _her_ scent, of course, but they would have to do.  

He was aware that he was handsome and charming, and he knew as well how to use it, so it wasn’t long before he picked himself a delicate, feminine-looking boy, and lured him with a promise of pleasure he would never forget.

For a while, the crimson-haired reaper stood outside, shadily loitering across the street from the place for what couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes.  She had thought about leaving, of course.  Part of her knew that spying on a stranger like this was hardly a sane or normal thing to do, especially lurking outside and waiting for him.  There was very little dignity in this, but she _needed_ to know what he was, what his intentions had been.  She’d never be able to forgive herself if she let this go without knowing.

She was just starting to consider going inside to escape the cold, when finally he came out again, accompanied by a feminine little drunk boy giggling and slurring beside him, obviously well beyond tipsy.  Grell clenched her teeth in annoyance at the sight.  She wasn’t sure why her thoughts were so bitter towards the boy, but they were.  

As the two made their way down the street, the reaper discretely following behind, Shuu tried not to roll his eyes too obviously at the boy’s behaviour.  The problem with winter months was, it was getting hard to talk people into entering private, dark alleys.  As soon as you offered them a little fun, they asked if you had a hotel room.  Understandably, no one wanted to sign up for a quicky against the cold wall to freeze their ass off.  But he had a solution for that as well, and as they approached a little alley, he wrapped his hand around the boy’s waist, pressing his nose to his neck and sucking hungrily at his skin.

"I can’t wait to get my hands on you… please let me steal a few more kisses, I’m all burning for you." he cooed, pulling him into the alley, which was easy given the boy was horny and drunk.

Once she saw them duck out of sight, Grell quickly scampered across the street, holding her shoes in her hand.  No… far from dignified.  Once she reached the entrance of the alley, she slid her sunglasses off and into her pocket, and cautiously peeked around the corner.

Shuu pressed the boy’s back against the wall, and captured his lips in a rough kiss, parting his mouth in invitation.  As soon as he felt his victim’s tongue slipping between them, a light smirk tugged at his lips, and he waited patiently as his whole tongue hungrily explored his mouth.  Then Shuu bit down.

Grell watched the two for a couple of minutes, before realising how crazy she was being.  Obviously he had just wanted to get off with someone.  It really was that simple.  Her hunch had been wrong.  Just as she turned to walk away, feeling a sickening sense of regret at turning down this charming man and missing out on her chance to be in that silly little boy’s shoes, she heard a muffled cry, making her stop in her tracks, shortly followed by a horrified squealing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.  It was a long moment before she managed to turn around again and work up the courage to walk back to the alley and look in.

The young man’s eyes were wide in terror, hands palming at Shuu’s shoulders and pushing him away.  The ghoul stepped back, and watched the boy falling to his knees, pressing both of his hands to his mouth as thick blood seeped between his fingers.  He was squealing like a slaughtered pig, tears falling from his eyes as he lifted his terrified gaze up at Shuu.

A piece of meat that once was his tongue, was hanging from Shuu’s mouth, and he sucked it inside quickly, swallowing it with a delighted sigh.  He licked the blood off his lips, which didn’t do much, because his whole chin, and the front of his coat, were stained with red trails.

"On your knees already?  I thought you wanted to save _that_ until we got to the hotel.” he chuckled, lifting the boy up by the front of his shirt, and pinning him to the wall, “Allow me to steal another kiss from you.” he said before pressing their lips together, and as he pulled away, he tore a large bite of flesh off of the boy’s face.

 _Oh my god_ … A sharp gasp sounded in Grell’s throat as she saw the bloody sight before her.  It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen some horrific murders in her time, but this was unsettling even for her.  This wasn’t a human, he was like _her_ , and he was being _eaten alive_ by the man who would have targeted her instead had she not left him in the dust.   _That could have been me_ … she thought, horrified.

The boy’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he went limp in Shuu’s grip, passing out from pain and fear.  The ghoul closed his eyes and swallowed his flesh, letting out an animalistic growl.  Once he looked up at him again, his eyes were turned black, red pupils sparkling with a disturbing, sick excitement.

The bones of the boy's jaw were now completely exposed, his flesh ragged around it so that it looked as if he was smiling.  Shuu let out a dark chuckle.  “Don’t look so pleased with yourself.  You’re not even close to replacing her.” he growled, tossing the nearly lifeless body onto the ground, and getting onto his knees next to him, hovering over him for a moment before he dipped his head and sank his teeth in the flesh of his neck.

The redhead watched on in horror as blood squirted out of the arteries, covering Shuu’s face almost completely as he feasted on the boy’s flesh, not even controlling himself anymore as his stomach began to fill pleasantly.  At last, he sat back on his heels, letting his head fall back and eyes roll to the back of his head, sticking his blood-covered face up to face the moon that hung above the city.

"Finally…" he sighed quietly, his tongue licking the blood off his lips and chin as far as it could reach.

The moment she had managed to move again after being frozen in terror, Grell turned to leave quickly, to get as far away from this scene as possible, but then an overwhelming sense of anger washed over her. _That could have been me!  That’s what he wanted to do to me.  To play me like a fool and then… then this?_ Without even thinking twice about it, she turned around again and made for the alley, dropping her shoes on the ground and clearing the space between her and Shuu in a few quick steps.  She raised her hand high before bringing it down hard across his face as he knelt by the boy’s corpse, taking him completely by surprise.

The ghoul was still trembling in a manic trance, breathing heavily from a maddening feeling of fulfillment, when he felt the slap.  He didn’t expect anyone to get near him as he was feeding, so he was completely unprepared for the strike that came suddenly.  The impact of this hit made him turn his face to the side, and his eyes snapped open as he felt stinging warmth spreading across his cheek.  He growled, and was ready to extend his kagune and kill whoever dared to hit him, but in the next second the most alluring aroma tickled his nostrils, forcing its way through the smell of the dead boy that covered Shuu’s face.  He could not mistake it for anything else, and his irked expression was immediately replaced by the widest of smiles.

Turning his head to look at Grell, Shuu chuckled in delight, his grin so wide it seemed that his face would break in half, his red pupils shifty as he took in her face at last.  Her eyes narrowed at the sight of that startling smile.  “ _La dame rouge_ … it’s you…” he sang with a cheery voice that didn’t match his disturbing look.  He couldn’t even comprehend how happy it made him that it was her, his heart fluttering with a sick satisfaction that she turned out to be not only beautiful and desirable, but also _completely mad_.  To follow him, to strike him as she just saw him eat alive another of her kind… he was underestimating her after all.  She turned out to be so much more.   _Perfetto_.

"You… you _bastard_!" she screamed, before taking a couple of deep breaths and stumbling back a few steps.  She almost _never_ cursed.  It just wasn’t lady like.  But such a situation sometimes called for harsh words.  “That was to be _me_ was it?  You thought me weak enough… _stupid_ enough to fall for that?  How dare you, I’m insulted!”  She ran a hand through her hair, calming down slightly before adding in a quieter voice, “I should _kill_ you!”  Her expression stayed serious and cold, but it was difficult to ignore how disturbingly beautiful he looked, covered in blood, that vibrant red decorating his face and clothes.  It had been a long time since she had seen someone kill with such a passion.  It would have been intoxicating had she herself not been the intended victim in the first place.  

He slowly raised to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.  It didn’t help much, since his hands were also filthy, and his face was stained all over, not only around his mouth.  The only thing he accomplished was to smear the blood across his cheek, it didn’t made him even a bit cleaner.

“So we meet again after all.” he cooed, taking a couple of steps towards her, “I wish I could say it’s destiny, but you have obviously been following me.  I’m flattered.”  He reached out with his hand towards Grell, and his fingers lingered for a few seconds just inches in front of her face as she stared warily at them, before he lowered it to grab her wrist roughly, a startled yelp escaping her as he did.  “I’m glad to be seeing your face at last.  You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”

“Let _go_!" she demanded in a tone that came out perhaps a bit more whiny than she’d intended, a slight panic started to hit her as she realised Shuu’s strength.  He was _stronger_ than her.  He lifted her hand up, her palm covered with blood from where she slapped his filthy face, and he stuck out his tongue, flicking it quickly over one of her fingers, before sucking it inside his mouth, licking it clean.  She clenched her jaw, preparing for some kind of horrible pain, but when all that she felt was the softness of his lips and tongue on her finger, it sent an almost pleasant shiver through her, a shuddering sigh escaping her.

“You shouldn’t let your amazing taste to be spoiled with something so common.”  He murmured as he released her wrist, allowing her to hastily step back again.  Swallowing nervously as she watched him, the panic in her expression was becoming harder to hide.  “Don’t worry.  I would never treat you like _that_.” Shuu said, gesturing nonchalantly towards the sad remains of the tipsy, silly boy.  “I would never devour such extraordinary flavor in some stinky, dark alley… I planned to turn you into the most beautiful and exquisite banquet.”

“Is that supposed to _flatter_ me?” she hissed at last, baring her now sharp and pointed teeth, suddenly wishing she’d kept her shoes on just so that she could feel a bit taller at least.  “Well, I’m terribly sorry, but you’ll have to cancel those plans.”

Shuu completely ignored what she said, he was too busy staring in awe at her sharp teeth.  His smiling lips parted as he let out a delighted little sigh, black eyes widening in excitement.

"What do we have here?  My lady is a true predator.  I think I’m in love." he chuckled, touching his own lips with his fingers in a gesture of pure desire, and he couldn’t hide that his hand was trembling a little.  His reaction put Grell even more on edge.  Her fangs were usually enough to scare off anyone who tried anything unpleasant with her, but he seemed to _like_ them.  If threatening him like this didn’t phase him, then what could she really do?  Already she could tell that he was stronger than her, which she certainly wasn’t used to.  She found herself wondering how fast he was.  Perhaps she could outrun him.  Then again, without her shoes on, this seemed unlikely.  

"You are such an interesting creature.” he continued.  “I gather we can now skip the courtesy and speak honestly.  You do not have to fear me, I am far too fascinated to simply kill you, not now, at least.  I want to know more about you; I want to know what you are, I wish to reveal all the secrets behind this marvellous aroma of yours."  Despite his reassurance that he didn’t have any nasty intentions, his upper lip twitched repeatedly, saliva mixed with blood dripping down his chin as he spoke.   _An interesting creature_ he called her.  She couldn’t help but allow her features to soften slightly at his charms, despite everything.

"Please…"  His red pupils shimmered with need as he extended his hand, offering it to her in a way that could pass as gentlemanly if not for his palm being completely soaked in blood.  "Trust me."  He smiled a little softer, but his kagune slowly made its way out, tearing out a small hole in his clothes, sticking out just a tiny bit for now, hidden behind his back.  Just to be ready, just in case.

For a moment, the redhead honestly thought she might give him a chance, but then her eyes once again found the corpse of the young man from before, and she shook her head quickly.  “This is… no,  I… I’m going.” she quickly started to back up towards the entrance to the alley, not daring to turn her back to him.

He clicked his tongue softly, letting out a disappointed ‘ _tsk_ ’ and furrowing his brows, an expression that would make him look almost innocent if not for the blood smeared all over his face.

"You’re breaking my heart." he sighed dramatically, pressing his palm to his chest as he started to walk towards her, not allowing her to create too much distance between them.  "You cannot leave me again, you see what happens when I miss you so terribly." he cooed, following her eyes with a quick glance over the bloody carcass in the alley.

However, as she kept backing up, expression still a mix of fear and anger, he narrowed his eyes and decided that the games were over.  His kagune emerged fully from behind his back, a loud gasp coming from the reaper as it formed a spiral around his arm.  He reached out towards Grell, and the purple, sort of metallic, ribbon-shaped tentacle wrapped around her forearm.  “I said _stay_!” he growled, his voice losing all of it’s charm and sweetness.  A wide-eyed, horrified Grell struggled against the strange purple appendage, a trembling hand trying desperately to pry it off of her.  

"You’re a good actress, but not good enough to fool me.  I saw all those little _symptoms_ breaking through your ice cold facade.  The soft smiles, sparks in your eyes, delighted sighs… _I will not be lied to_.”

His words, suddenly harsh and accusatory, caused the redhead’s fearful expression to contort into something more like rage.  “That was before I knew you were trying to _eat me_!" she practically screamed those last two words, lifting one of her shoes off of the ground beside her and lobbing it in the direction of his head.  Shuu managed to duck, a smirk tugging at his lips at that, frankly adorable, display of anger.  Such temperament, what an extraordinary woman.  

His kagune tightened around her forearm as a warning, and all of a sudden she was desperately wishing she had her death scythe with her.  If she did, then this guy would already be in pieces on the ground.  Already going into full tantrum mode, she lifted her other shoe, preparing to give it the same fate as the other one.  “ _YOU_ won’t be lied to?” she repeated in disbelief,  “That’s really something coming from _you_!”  She flung the other shoe as hard as she could, this time hitting him right in the face, the impact making him stumble over his own feet a little.  The purple kagune unwrapped from around Grell’s hand as he lost his focus for a moment, and she stumbled backwards again with a relieved sigh, clutching that wrist with her other hand protectively.

“Why do you keep aiming for my _face_?!” he growled, clenching his jaw with an audible click of his bones, a fresh cut appearing across his lip.

“Because it’s a _stupid face anyway_!" was about the cleverest retort she could think of in her current state of panic and anger, before he raised his hand and uncurled his kagune, swinging it in the air and towards Grell.  The purple ribbon wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her closer to him, dragging her along kicking and screaming, until she was pressed against him.

"Let. Me. _Go_!" she demanded, squirming against the purple spiral as she tried to unwrap it from herself.  Eventually, all she could do was bare her teeth like a cornered animal, shivering like one too, as he moved his face closer.  

"Nothing I said to you was a lie." he hissed, face just inches away from Grell’s, "I really do find you to be the most beautiful, fascinating, breathtaking woman I have ever met."  His voice gradually lost the venomous pang and softened once again, lowering to a whisper.  He brushed their noses together teasingly as her hands pushed against his shoulders to try and hold him back, before he tilted his head to the side and leaned in close to her ear.  Speaking slowly, and punctuating every word, he breathed hotly against her skin, "And I really… really… want to… _devour_ you.”  

She stubbornly kept pushing against him, but his words whispered into her ear were making her weak, cheeks embarrassingly flushing red.  The last words were just a little bit more than a breath, his tongue catching her earlobe and sucking between his lips.  The reaper tensed up and her hands instinctively gripped the front of his shirt tightly, preparing herself for the bite that never came.  Instead of the harshness of his teeth, what she felt was the softness of his lips, immediately making her body go limp against him, an involuntary whimper escaping her.  “I respect you too much for you to end up as my midnight snack, _Grell_." he purred just moments after.  

“Really?” she breathed timidly, inwardly cursing herself for how naive it was.

He smiled at the question, his lips brushing the skin on her cheek as they stretched into a grin.  Pulling away slowly, he looked down at her, gracing her with his most charming, dimpled smile.

"Really."  The reply came in a velvety, almost calming voice, as his hand covered one of hers that were desperately clutching at the shoulders of his jacket, just resting atop it softly.  He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he looked at her once again, they were no longer black, and they had lost their lunatic glint.  

His kagune unwrapped slowly from around Grell, crawling back into his body.  He decided that possible benefits are worth the risk, and so the metallic ribbon uncurled from around his arm and disappeared completely below his shoulder blade.  Seconds after, it was replaced by Shuu’s other hand wrapping loosely around her waist, pulling her a little closer.

Although he gave her a word of reassurance, the redhead was still tense, there was still caution in those chartreuse eyes of hers; she still did not trust him.  Not that it was stopping her from letting herself be taken in by his crocodile smile.  He was a predator, she knew this.  He had said himself that he wanted to ‘devour’ her.  She had seen with her own eyes that he was capable of this and that he enjoyed it.  And still, for some reason, some _stupid_ reason, there she was, allowing his arms to hold her in place, making no more attempts to get out of the situation.  Because of her job, she saw countless naive women walking into the same traps with charming and dangerous men, and it disgusted her; she’d always believed that such stupid women deserved their fates.  This thought almost made her want to laugh now.  

Bringing their faces close, he sighed against her lips, letting them brush together in a barely-there prelude of a kiss as he whispered, “Such a place does not suit you.  Let me take you somewhere else so we can… talk.”

At this offer, alarm bells went off in her head immediately.  There was no doubt in her mind that this was an awful idea, and she should absolutely get as far away as possible, but somehow the words that came from her lips betrayed all her better instincts and logic.

"Alright.  Let’s go."  She told herself that it was useless to say no anyway, as he would just set that dreadful purple _thing_ on her again, so it was best to just go along with it until a chance to get away presented itself.  That probably wasn’t too far from accurate, but she couldn’t help but feel disgusted at how compliant she sounded.

Satisfied with her response, Shuu pulled away casually, letting go of her waist and gently unclenching her fingers from his jacket so that he could make a half-step back.  Invading her personal space was his way of keeping the upper hand.

Grell quickly pulled her hands back and took a couple of steps backward, deliberately averting her eyes from him as she moved to pick her shoes up off of the ground, checking to see if they were still somewhat functional.  Unsurprisingly, they had gotten quite scratched up from being thrown around, but fortunately the heels hadn’t snapped.  She slipped them back on her feet, which were now a bit scraped up as well from being pulled along earlier by that purple thing, not to mention she’d been walking on them for a while now.  Once her shoes were back on her feet, she felt immediately grateful for the added height.

Shuu reached to the inside pocket of his coat, retrieving a handkerchief, and proceeding to clean up his face, wiping off the blood that had already dried out a bit.  “Although I must ask you take back what you said about my face being _stupid_.” he smirked, as his handsome features reappeared from underneath, and he cleaned up his hands as well.  The redhead's expression turned bitter at his words, eyes still avoiding him quite conspicuously.

The front of his clothes was still stained, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he just let out a displeased sigh as he turned the collar of his coat up, trying to cover as much of it as he could.

"Now, I am inviting you to my hotel.  Don’t worry, I know you’re too clever and cautious to come to my room, I didn’t mean that at all.  There is a restaurant on the ground floor, open all the time.  There should be little to no people in there at this hour.  Shall we?"  He offered her his arm in a courteous manner.

Stubbornly ignoring his offer, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and nodded in the direction of where the alleyway opened out into the deserted street.  “Lead the way.”


	3. Folie à Deux

_"Now, I am inviting you to my hotel.  Don’t worry, I know you’re too clever and cautious to come to my room, I didn’t mean that at all.  There is a restaurant on the ground floor, open all the time.  There should be little to no people in there at this hour.  Shall we?"  He offered her his arm in a courteous manner._

_Stubbornly ignoring his offer she stuffed her hands in her pockets and nodded in the direction of where the alleyway opened out into the deserted street.  “Lead the way.”_

❈

Letting out a small huff, that was more of a chuckle than a snit, he shook his head lightly at her stubbornness.  “I’m not going to turn my back to you.  We will go together, even if you don’t want to take my arm.” he said, taking her by the elbow and pushing gently as she gave a childish whine in response.  They left the alley together, turning right to walk down the street, and for the entire walk, the reaper said nothing, sulking the whole time.  

The hotel was, unsurprisingly, perhaps one of the best in London.  Barely 6 floors tall, it was a historical building adapted especially for the most demanding guests that were used to the highest quality of service and luxury.  Covering the blood stains with his coat, Shuu opened the door for Grell, and invited her inside with a little bow of his head.  

Stepping inside, she glanced up at him in curiosity, wondering if maybe he intended to go change his clothes or something, which would give her an excellent window of opportunity to leave.  However, a quiet hiss of annoyance left her as he ushered her through the lobby and straight to the restaurant.  Apparently he knew better than to risk her getting away.  

As expected, nearly all of the tables were empty, and the place was quiet; peaceful music seeping through the air, atmosphere a bit sleepy due to soft, dimmed lighting.  He slid a bill into the little pocket of a waiter’s apron, and they were immediately seated at a table in the corner.  A stick of lit candles was placed in the middle of the table as they were each handed menus.

"I already ate."  Shuu smiled politely at the waiter, sliding the menu away from himself.  "You can order whatever you want.  My treat." he said to Grell once the waiter left, propping his elbows on the table and folding his hands underneath his chin, as he looked at her from behind long lashes.  

"Now, I imagine you have a lot of questions, but I think it’s hardly fair that you know my full name, and I only know that you’re _Grell_.  Charming name, but I’m sure there is also something that follows.  After proper introductions, we can share the rest of our dirty secrets.”  He grinned playfully, the expression softening as the waiter returned,  “Ah, did you choose, darling?” he asked, flashing Grell a genuine smile.

“Just coffee, thanks.”  Grell said softly, offering the waiter a polite smile before her face turned sour again when he left, turning to look Shuu dead in the eyes for once.  "It’s not fair that I’m being dragged around to hotels by some kind of… of… whatever _you_ _are_ , in the middle of the night, who’s quite heavily implied that he’s going to try and eat my face off at some point.  But who said anything about _fair_ , right?”  Her voice changed to a condescendingly cheerful coo as she continued.  “But, for your information, _yes._ There is more to my name than just Grell.  And I can assure you that ‘ _darling_ ' is nowhere in there.”  She gave a sassy little shrug before resting her chin on her hands, mimicking his pose and expression.

A deep sigh escaped him, and he leaned his head against one palm, furrowing his brow and pursing his lips in a small pout.  He could mock her behaviour as well, if that was the game now.  “Ah, you’re going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the night, aren’t you?” he breathed out heavily, tapping his long fingers against his cheek.  “And I’m trying my _hardest_ to make up to you for the state you saw me in tonight.”  He winked at her and one of his eyes briefly turned black, making the reaper tense slightly, before it went back to normal with his next blink.

He stared at Grell almost dreamily, without a word, as the waiter placed a cup of coffee before her, along with a small silver tray with brown sugar and snow white, thick cream.  Once they were left alone again, he waited until Grell lowered her hand to take the coffee, and he reached over the table, taking her hand in his.  She bared her pointed teeth slightly in annoyance, making a quick attempt to pull her hand back before giving up with a loud sigh.  

"Honestly, I had more than one opportunity tonight to tear you apart." he said quietly, his voice not losing anything from its softness.  "I could have bitten off your finger, I could have sunk my teeth into your beautiful, pale cheek, just like I did with that boy."  His fingers squeezed her hand harder, his voice slowly rising in pitch.  "Do you remember how he looked, _do you_?”  His eyes shimmered madly, before he unexpectedly released her hand and composed himself.

"But did I?  No.  All I did was… _lick you_ a little.  And _accidentally_ turn you on, isn’t that right?”  He smiled sweetly.  

“Accidentally… w- _what_?” Grell stammered in disbelief, face glowing red as she clenched her fists tight to restrain herself from reaching out and slapping him again for such a crude remark.  “ _Ugh_!”

“My only intention towards you right now is to get to know you more.  Honestly.” Shuu continued,  “So maybe you could stop pouting and start talking to me, hm?”  He raised his eyebrows at her before adding a sugar-coated, " _Please_ …"

"You said that the alley ‘didn’t suit me’.  You didn’t want me for a ‘midnight snack’?  How do I know you’re not just waiting to turn me into that… what was it?  That ‘exquisite banquet’ you mentioned?  Or maybe you’re just full after stuffing yourself with that drunk boy from before.   _Hmm_?"  Her own voice was starting to reach a higher pitch as she became more unsettled.  She wasn’t used to feeling like she was in any real danger, or to meeting someone who was physically stronger than her.  She hadn’t in a very long time, and she certainly didn't like it.

"You can’t know." he said simply.  "You have no guarantee that I won’t use the first moment I see you lowering your guard.  But that only makes things more exciting, doesn’t it?"  He leaned forward, propped on his elbows, hovering above the table with a wide, delighted smile.  “And you like things exciting, I can tell."  He half-lidded his eyes as he touched his cheek, caressing it at the memory of a slap that her lovely hand placed there.

She glared at him for a moment, and then took a few deep breaths to compose herself before folding her arms and sighing.  Maybe if she just talked to him, like he wanted, then he’d let her go.  Or at least take his eyes off of her long enough for her to bolt.  “Grell _Sutcliff_.” she mumbled defeatedly after a pause.  “What do you want to know?”

"I am so glad I met you, _Grell Sutcliff._ ”  Her name slipped from between his lips in a low, silky purr, his teeth flashing in an even wider smile.  The way he said it put butterflies in her stomach, and her face flushed red again, much to her dismay.  "I want to know everything about you.” he sighed, tapping his chin with his finger in thought.  “But for everything, there will be time later.  First things first.  I wish to know _what_ you are.” he asked, his expression turning a little more serious.  “I can smell it on you.”  His nose wrinkled as he instinctively sniffed the air.  “Not a human.  And not my kind.  Something else, powerful, _deadly_ … what?”  He bit at his lower lip, awaiting an answer.

He was persistent, forceful even, violent and more than a bit mad, and at times he was frankly infuriating, but somehow all of this just made his charm and softness even more enchanting, just as that charm and softness made his madness and violence all the more unsettling.  As he leaned towards her, awaiting an answer, she honestly wasn’t sure whether the racing of her heart and the unsteadiness of her breathing were because she was excited or afraid.  Perhaps he was right and it was a little of both.

After a moment to collect her thoughts and compose herself, she swallowed nervously and answered him in as calm and cold a voice as possible, though the slight tremble in the sound threatened to give her away.  “I’m a Grim Reaper.  A _Shinigami_." she said, using a term he might be more familiar with.  Shuu’s eyes widened and sparkled instantly, his lips parting in a delighted smile and a soft gasping escaping him.  "What are _you_?" Grell asked, her eyes narrowing a bit.  Maybe now she would finally get the information that she got herself into this mess for.  

He kept silent for what seemed like eternity, staring at Grell with his lower lip trembling and fingers digging into his cheeks.  The longer he looked at her, the smaller she felt in her seat.  "A _Shinigami_ …” he repeated eventually, with yet another gasp.  “I knew I could smell the scent of death underneath all that passion and grace.  Ah, _tres bien_!  You are a Death God!”  He honestly couldn’t contain himself, vibrating in his seat slightly.  Finally he clapped his hands together, leaning even closer over the table as words spilled from him untamed, Grell’s eyes widening in surprise at his reaction.  “I have never met one.  Well, not directly.  They always come after I am done with my… meals.”  He let out a soft laugh that was ridiculously close to a silly little giggle, and the reaper couldn’t help but let a slight smile come to her lips at the sound.  Her expression turned serious again no more than a couple of seconds later, though, as he started to answer her own question.  

"Speaking of that, _I_ am a ghoul.  That’s pretty much all there is to know.  We, I mean ghouls, feed on human flesh, but that... you already know.”  He made a small circle in the air with his finger, pointing at her.  “And the thing you saw…”  His finger tracing a shape of a spiral this time, “… that’s my _kagune_.”  

“ _Kagune_ …” the reaper repeated under her breath, listening with a slight pout of concentration.  

“It’s sort of an organ that serves as a weapon.  Much like your death scythe I imagine… _Oh_!  Do you have a death scythe?  I heard you have them… what’s yours like?”  He bounced in his seat in excitement.

"Uh… yes, I have one." she answered once he finally fell silent long enough for her to speak, the slightest hint of a smile returning to her lips.  She loved talking about her scythe.  She still had the same one she’d had for over a century.  It used to be a lot more interesting to tell people about it, though, back when there was nothing else like it.  Now, the humans had already invented something almost exactly the same.  It wasn’t unlike her to complain about how _those wretched humans stole her design somehow_ after a few drinks.

"It’s basically quite similar to a chainsaw, except that I made it myself and _I_ came up with it _first._  I got in a bit of trouble at first when I made it, because it wasn’t a regulation scythe like the others.  You’re not really supposed to tweak them.  But, anyway. long story short, I eventually managed to get it approved.  It can cut through almost anything in the world.  Well, all scythes can, but mine’s _better_.” Her eyes lit up as she spoke, her smile widening and she had become a lot more animated, gesturing with her hands and even leaning towards Shuu slightly as she told him.  Shuu’s eyes grew even wider, the ghoul chewing at his bottom lip to stop it from trembling.  “It’s faster and it’s bigger and it’s… it’s _louder.  Ahnn_ ~ it’s the most beautiful sound in the world, and… and… yes.  So.  That’s what it’s like.”  She cleared her throat, shutting herself up once she realised she’d been getting carried away, and took a sip of her coffee to keep herself quiet.

By then Shuu was nearly lying over the table, with how far he had leaned forward, listening carefully.  "A chainsaw…" he breathed eventually, clearly impressed.  " _C’est magnifique_!  Oh, I wish I could see it.  But on the other hand, I don’t think we’d be sitting here talking if you’d had it on you tonight.”  He chuckled lightly, slipping in a small flattery, though he didn’t really believe she could’ve defeated him even with her scythe.

"How does it feel to use?" he asked, both because he was genuinely interested in the peculiar kind of scythe, and because he noticed this subject seeming to break the ice between them.  "Does it feel good when it cuts through someone?  When it shatters bones… when blood sprinkles all over you…?  Do they scream?  Can you hear the screams through how loud the chainsaw is?"  Once again he instinctively grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly.  His heart was positively racing, pounding madly in his chest, and he asked himself whether it was because of how her scent became even more prominent and alluring when she started talking about her scythe, or because she, so far, turned out to be everything he had hoped and wished for.  Perhaps, once again, a little bit of both.

She was not just an exquisitely smelling meal… he nearly scolded himself for ever taking her for one.  Oh no, she was extraordinary, passionate, interesting, exciting, and most importantly, he was not bored with her.  Putting her scent aside completely, he actually enjoyed the company, and the fact that his mouth was still watering every now and then… well.  Nobody’s perfect.  Except, maybe _her_.

A red glow appeared on Grell’s cheeks as Shuu asked her all these questions, about how it felt and… the blood, and the screams.  It had been a long, long time since she’d used her scythe for such purposes, but she could still remember how warm the blood felt on her face, how it smelled, how the musical sound of her scythe created such beautiful discord with the horrified, agonized screams…

"Ah… no." she lied eventually, and Shuu nearly lost his smile, disappointed at the answer, before she let out a sigh that was somewhat dreamy and frustrated at the same time.  She only now noticed his hand squeezing hers.  What was the point in hiding her thoughts with him?  It wasn’t as if he was all moral and pure himself.  "Well, th-that’s not what the scythe is for… but…"  She closed her eyes, giving another sigh, this time somehow nostalgic.  "Yes.  You can hear them.  It’s… _mh_ …”  She swallowed hard, suddenly flustered by the memory.  Shuu beamed gladly as she admitted finally that she was not a saint herself.  Shifting in his seat, he gave her a nod of encouragement, intensely seeking eye-contact.

He waited for her to continue, letting the silence fall between them, and he held her hand for the whole time, his thumb very gently stroking the upper side of her palm.

"It’s what?" he asked eventually, barely breaking the silence as his voice came out in a whisper.  He moved with his chair, scooting closer to her, and lifting her hand from the table, covering it with both of his.  "Tell me, Grell.  You can tell me anything, everything…" he cooed, emphasizing each word with a kiss placed on her hand as he brought it up to his lips.  He shivered a bit as her taste lingered on his lips, but he managed to conceal this desire, looking up at her with clear, focused eyes.

She almost forgot that she was supposed to be talking as the silence between them grew longer, the redhead lost in her thoughts, the perfectly gruesome memories that she knew not to discuss with anyone or she’d be considered ‘unstable’ and probably lose her job, not to mention a lot of her friends, and the respect of most people she knew.

But the man in front of her, wrapping his hands around hers tightly and moving closer, urging her to continue as he left warm kisses over her hand, he seemed to want her to like it.  He wanted her to be ‘unstable’.  He understood what it felt like.  

"It’s… it’s…"  Her voice was quiet as she tried to find the words to describe it.  "It’s _art_ … it’s just… it’s perfect."  She let out an excited little whimper as she tried to keep herself composed, not to much avail.  Before she knew it, she was telling him everything.  Those never-before-spoken words were spilling out of her before she even had the chance to organise them in her head.  "The way their screams change when the blade touches them.  When the agony is added to their terror, it’s like… a… a change of key, it becomes so uncontrolled and _primal_ and… and then soon after it’s just... silence.  Those beautiful sounds as you watch their life gushing out of them in the most… _perfect_ shade of red.  There’s nothing else in the world that can quite match _that perfect red._  And the way my scythe sprinkles it everywhere, like… like hot, red rain.  All over the walls, the ground, my skin, my clothes… and it’s just… _perfect_."

Her hands were trembling now, one holding onto his tightly, the other gripping the edge of the table, fingernails scratching lightly at the surface.  “I lie awake sometimes just thinking about it…”

"Yes… perfect. Perfect." he whispered, agreeing with her wholeheartedly.  Once again he pressed his lips to her palm, in his thrill allowing himself to lightly wrap his lips around one finger and suck at it a little before looking up at her with hazed eyes.  She felt her heart skip in her chest, before a shudder went through her, and she let out a deep sigh.  Every time he put his lips near her, a part of her was preparing herself for the pain of the bite that never came, the tension only making the softness even more teasing.

"I can tell you didn’t have anyone to share this with until now…" he said, lacing their fingers together and pressing their joined palms to his chest.  

"No… I haven’t." she replied quietly.  He was right.  Never had she been able to share this with anyone.  Even that red woman who had been by her side through it all, even _she_ had never really _loved_ it.  She never understood the beauty of it.  Not like Shuu did.

" _Ma cherié, la déesse, la déesse rouge_ …" he began murmuring quietly, one hand still holding onto hers while the other went to curl a red strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.  "I wish I could see you like this, this beautiful, light skin… painted red." he breathed, stroking her cheekbone and jaw with his fingers.

She moved closer, leaning her forehead against his, half-lidded eyes staring into his with an intense yet flustered gaze.  “Can I see your room?”


	4. Hot Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, oh my god. 100% my fault for getting lazy. Also, it doesn't help that this chapter is insanely, ridiculously long. I promise you it's quality, though. Dirty, filthy, steamy quality. 
> 
> Brief warning: this chapter is why there are so many tags on this fic. Be afraid, be so very afraid. You're gonna love it. Or, at least I hope so. I love it. -- 50ShadesOfGrell

_"I can tell you didn’t have anyone to share this with until now…" he said, lacing their fingers together and pressing their joined palms to his chest._

_"No… I haven’t." she replied quietly.  He was right.  Never had she been able to share this with anyone.  Even that red woman who had been by her side through it all, even she had never really loved it.  She never understood the beauty of it.  Not like Shuu did._

_"Ma cherié, la déesse, la déesse rouge…" he began murmuring quietly, one hand still holding onto hers while the other went to curl a red strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.  "I wish I could see you like this, this beautiful, light skin… painted red." he breathed, stroking her cheekbone and jaw with his fingers._

_She moved closer, leaning her forehead against his, half-lidded eyes staring into his with an intense yet flustered gaze.  “Can I see your room?”_

❈

He closed his eyes briefly, just for a second, as he instinctively drew in a deep, long breath.  He couldn’t help it when she was so close, her smell was intoxicating, and it was making him weak.

At the question, a wide, bright smile spread across his lips, dimples forming in his cheeks. He didn’t answer right away, just looking at her with a smile, their noses brushing together as he inhaled once again.

"Of course." he replied eventually, giving himself a few more seconds of this closeness before he pulled away and slowly stood up, pressing one more kiss atop of her palm, "Come with me." he gestured, offering her his arm once again.  This time, she accepted, hooking her own arm through his and leaning against him.  It wasn’t so much a display of affection as a need for support; by this point she was absolutely weak at the knees.

He tossed a bill at the table, not even looking at it, and it was far too much for a single coffee, but he had other things on his mind. They left the restaurant and passed the lobby, getting into a small, old-fashioned elevator with a metal grate and red carpet on the floor.

The elevator ride was almost unbearable, lasting for less than a minute but feeling like hours as the silence was filled only by their unsteady breathing.  It was taking more restraint than the reaper knew she had in her just to stop herself from jumping the ghoul’s bones right there and then.

Shuu’s suite was at the top; the sixth floor.  A spacious room with a big, crystal chandelier, sofas with embroidered upholstery, bookshelves taking up an entire wall, and thick, soft carpet was the first that they saw.  The sight was enough to distract Grell’s thoughts for a short moment.  Large, wooden double doors lead to the bedroom, which was visible now as they were wide open, revealing the king-sized canopy bed inside.  The place suited him, that was for sure.  Everything about it was extravagant and eye-catching.

"Welcome to my _chambres_." he smiled as he stood aside to let Grell in. 

She glanced around briefly as she stepped past him into the bedroom, and gave a quick nod of approval before turning to him and taking in a breath through parted lips as if she was about to say something.  But in one swift movement, her hands went to his chest, pushing him roughly against the nearest wall and then moving her lips close to his.

Her hands slid downwards, ending up at his waist and staying there.  She brushed her lips against his and met his gaze with a look in her eyes that was as desperate as it was aggressive.  “What now, _mon prince charmant_?”

Fully expecting her to play hard to get, Shuu was surprised - pleasantly surprised.  Wearing a little, content smirk, he responded by wrapping one of his arms around her waist, while the other hand went up to cup her face.

"Now?  It depends…" he murmured, tilting his head and leaning in slightly to bring his lips closer to her ear, "…whether you wish to remain a lady after tonight."  His words sent shivers through the redhead, but he didn’t wait for her answer.  Pulling away just enough to look her in the eyes once again, Shuu finally pressed their lips together, and all thoughts went from Grell’s mind in an instant.

He was glad that he was pressed against the wall, because if not for that support, he would surely faint.  To taste her like this, finally, was an overwhelming sensation.  He let himself nip at her lips gently, and then slide his tongue between them, his fingers slowly stroking her cheek as he savoured this most magnificent flavour.  And the best part of this was - he didn’t have to _take_ it, she just gave it to him willingly.  Of course, there was a slight, but only momentary hesitation as she kissed him back, images of what she had seen in the alley flooding her mind, before she relaxed against him, kissing him back with just as much heat and need as he had for.  After seeing him back there, what he did with that boy’s face and tongue, it was quite impressive that she let him kiss her at all, that she wanted this as well.  The thought made him let out a muffled, soft hum, knees almost buckling underneath him.  She was indeed the most extraordinary woman he had ever met.

Her smell so intense, so pure, undisturbed by any other aroma, hit his nostrils as his tongue was tasting her.  It made him dizzy, and the kiss became a bit more rough, a bit more needy.  Soon he was not able to control the way his mouth began watering with saliva, his instincts wished to devour her, while his heart wanted to cherish her.

Not to scare her off with the hungry drooling, Shuu broke the kiss, smoothly moving his lips to her neck, swallowing as he trailed open-mouthed kisses down the delicate skin of this swan-like, perfect neck.  His hand tugged at her clothing, revealing a bit of her shoulder as his mouth reached the crook of her neck, and he began nipping at the skin gently.  At first, she tensed at the feeling of his teeth grazing her skin, her hands sliding up his back to cling to the fabric nervously.  Perhaps it would take some time before she would trust him completely, but she was making an effort not to let her caution show.  

Before long, however, the nerves passed, and the reaper all but melted against him, breathing becoming unsteady and hot against his ear.  It was rare for him to bite so delicately, without breaking the skin, but he was doing his best to be careful, to restrain himself.  Now was a time for _her_ pleasure, and he wanted to give it to her above anything, even his own satisfaction.  He took her skin between his teeth, biting lightly, eliciting quiet little squeaks and gasps from the shinigami, and sucking until the pale flesh reddened and bruised.  

He stopped and smiled at his handiwork, feeling proud of his self-control, before starting to pepper gentle kisses over the skin up her neck, his tongue flicking out every now and then.  Each time he got to taste her skin, it was making him shudder slightly.  Her heavy breathing, and those soft noises she was making sent shivers down his spine, little sparks of bliss exploding in his chest.  He reached her ear, sucking and licking at the earlobe, and finally decided that his senses were fed well enough for him to cool down, for a while at least.

It allowed him to bring his attention back to her lips, to kiss her again, but this time… better.  The new kiss was more passionate, not as hungry, not as greedy; just slow, hot, lustful, and yet also romantic in a way.  His lips were sliding against hers lazily, his tongue slipping in gently, while his hand tightened around her waist, holding her close to him.  With every fibre of his body he could feel her scent and he only wanted more.

Shuu reached up to pop open the buttons of her coat, and he let go of her reluctantly, unwrapping her hands from where they desperately clung onto him, to slide it down her arms.  The clothing dropped onto the floor behind her, and as soon as it did, he forcefully pulled her close into his embrace once again.  She slid her hands slowly up his stomach and chest, before moving them up to the sides of his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.  Their lips didn’t leave each other’s even for a second, and the kiss only deepened when he held onto her again, claiming her in all his burning passion as well as his primal hunger.

After a moment, she lowered her hands again to start opening the buttons on his coat, fumbling a bit with trembling hands.  When eventually she got it open and started roughly pushing it down off his shoulders, she gave a little shudder as the smell of blood hit her.  She broke the kiss for a moment to look down, a slight frown creeping onto Shuu’s face as she pulled away so suddenly, his head leaning forward as if to catch her again, his lips craving hers.  But then his eyes opened to follow her gaze, and the smile that replaced the frown was positively glowing with delight.  

The reaper's chartreuse eyes were glued to the front of his shirt, dried blood staining the delicate fabric and making it cling to the ghoul’s broad chest slightly.  To refrain from swooning at the sight before her was a task in itself for Grell.  

"Do you like it, _cherié_?” he asked in a whisper, tugging at his tie and pulling it off, letting it slip from his hand to softly drop on the floor.  “Do you want to see more?”  He took her hand in his, placing her fingers against the top button of his shirt.  “Do you want to see if it soaked through?  If my skin is also painted red?”

Grell swallowed hard at his words, her eyes slowly lifting to meet his again, a red flush creeping across her cheeks and nose as he lifted her hands to his shirt buttons.  Her flustered expression was soon replaced by an adoring smile as she brushed her nose against his, trembling fingers clumsily working at the buttons one at a time.

Once a few buttons had come undone, her eyes returned to his chest, the top of which was now exposed enough for a few lines of dried blood to be visible where it had dripped below his collar.  Her smile faded to a look of absolute awe as her fingers traced the red streaks so lightly that she was barely touching him at all.

After a brief pause to compose herself, she went back to popping open his shirt buttons, admiring each inch of his beautiful, blood-stained body as it was revealed.  “ _Ahnn_ … perfect.” she muttered with a slight whine as the last button came undone, before sliding down so that her mouth was at the waistband of his trousers, and slowly starting to leave a trail of delicate kisses up his stomach.  He closed his eyes for a moment, humming softly as her kisses moved up his body, his muscles tensing everywhere her lips touched.  

Nothing was said.  He just smiled, resting his head back against the wall for a moment, but didn’t say a word.  It was not possible to find any words to describe how he absolutely adored her, and the way she was making him feel.  She just said that the dried out blood of his victim staining his skin was perfect, and she rewarded him with such loving, needy kisses… he couldn’t think straight when she was like that.  Absolutely and perfectly mad.

_Folie à deux._

Her little pecks fell lightly on his skin, moving up his chest, and then his neck, stopping at his ear.  “Perfect.” she repeated in a soft whisper.

Looking back at her finally, he let his hands rest gently on her shoulders, slowly sliding off the straps of her dress.  His fingers traced the creamy skin of her arms, dancing along them lazily, tickling and caressing, before he took a step forward, pushing her to walk backwards towards the bed.

"I believe your beautiful fangs could paint me red even more." he murmured, keeping their lips close, gracing her with little pecks every now and then, needing her more than air, only being able to breathe when her lips was pressed to his.  "And if you want, _I will let you_.”  His whole body shuddered as he whispered the words.

When they reached the bed, she turned them around and pushed him gently but firmly to sit down on the edge of the bed, before climbing up to straddle his lap.  His hands wrapped around her waist to support her although they rested a little lower than before.  Being a gentleman, Shuu, after all, was also a man, and he couldn’t stay blind and unmoved at her charms.  Slowly and cautiously, as if awaiting either permission or another slap to his cheek, he slid his hands down to cup her shapely ass.

Not even considering objecting to the placement of his hands, she brushed her lips against his.  He wanted her to bite him?  That definitely wasn’t something she’d heard before.  Perhaps this would be fun.

Her lips left another quick peck on his, before she gave him a playful smirk and started leaving teasing little kisses and nips up and down his neck, along his shoulder, across his chest and starting again on the other side.  He tilted his head to give her better access, a low purr rumbling in his throat, electric sparks dancing on the back of his neck and further down his spine.  When she started to kiss lower, Shuu pressed his nose to the top of her head, inhaling slowly.

Normally it annoyed him when someone with such a nice scent used too much product for their hair, where the smell was supposed to be more prominent, or when they used perfumes that masked their natural aroma.  But Grell seemed to smell perfect all over, nothing disturbed her magnificent scent, her hair revealing only a faint note of shampoo, which seemed to perfectly complement her own smell.  And the softness of those red strands, the silky touch of her curls against his face, was even more breathtaking.  

After a few minutes of this, she stopped her lips by his ear and gently grazed the lobe with her teeth, bringing him out of his reverie.  “Where would you like it, _Monsieur Tsukiyama_ ~?”  

He lightly nuzzled his face against hers, leaning closer to her.  “Wherever you wish, _cherié._  I am all yours.” he whispered in encouragement.  “You can decorate me to your liking.  Although…” he pondered out loud, moving his hands up and sliding them along her back, “we don’t want to ruin this lovely dress in the process.  Shall we take it off?”  The question came as his fingers lingered on the metal zipper.

Grell gave him a soft smile and a nod, allowing him to slowly slide the zipper down her back before slipping off of his lap and standing in front of him.  She began by sliding one side of the dress down her shoulder, and then the next, teasingly slow.  Honestly, he had been hoping to undress her, already imagining how his hands would roam over her body, pushing her dress down.  But this was so, so much better.   He held his breath as she looked right into his eyes, letting the dress fall to the floor.  His eyes followed the course of the dress, watching it pool around her ankles, and then his gaze slowly slid up her body as she stood before him in just her heels and her favourite red lace panties, stretched slightly by the hardening bulge underneath.

_Ah_ what a sight that was!   _Stupéfiant!_  The grace and delicacy of a woman, perfectly united with the most flawless form of an ancient effigy.  Actually, her lithe, long legs, and elegant, narrow hips brought Shuu’s mind immediately to his favourite sculpture, Donatello’s _David_.  He bit at his lower lip, admiring the view.  His lady was a true work of art.

She gave him a moment to take her in, her cheeks flushing a bit before she stepped forward, standing between his legs and draping her arms over his shoulders.  He eagerly wrapped his arms around her, tilting his head up and almost begging for a kiss to come as she rested their foreheads together, her eyes watching his own with an expression that she tried to keep calm, but ended up conveying her need for him quite clearly.

Tilting her head slightly, she pressed her lips to his, the kiss starting as something delicate, almost chaste, before slowly becoming deeper, more intense and passionate.  Her hands buried their fingers in his hair, body pressing flush against his, before out of nowhere she surprised him with a sharp little nip to his lower lip.  He welcomed the startling sensation with a small hiss as a light trickle of blood dripped from the cut.

A small smirk came to her lips before she started a little trail of soft pecks from his cheek, moving below his jaw, down his neck, until she stopped right in the crook of his neck.  Giving him a moment of warning, she opened her mouth, positioning her pointed fangs carefully before she sank them into his skin as easily as if she was biting into an apple.  

A loud gasp escaped him as her teeth broke his skin, and he didn’t even try to hold it back.  His mouth dropped open, lower lip trembling, as little whiny sighs kept coming from him, smell of his own blood making him dizzy.  The pain was nothing comparing to the pleasure that rushed through him, hot wave pooling in his lower stomach, pressure in his chest making it hard to breathe.  Soon the thick warmth trailed down his skin, and he had to dig his fingers into the skin of her shoulder to keep himself from pushing his hand between his legs.

The warm and slightly metallic taste of blood filled the reaper’s mouth, and after a moment she removed her teeth from his flesh, watching with a dreamy sigh as the crimson liquid dripped beautifully down his skin.  She pulled back to glance at his face, making sure he was alright with the pain, before moving her lips back to the wound and kissing over it affectionately, hoping to soothe him at least a bit.

When she looked at him again, his blood was smeared around her mouth and dripping down her chin and neck, but her expression was loving, calming, so odd and out of place on a face dripping with blood.  “Was that okay, love?” she asked gently.

He smiled widely, cupping her cheek and stroking the stained skin with his thumb.  “It was perfect.” he said with shaky voice.  "Come here."  His arms embraced her tightly, and he leaned back to lie on the bed, pulling her with him so that she was on top of him.  He caught her lips in a heated kiss, his own blood smearing over his mouth, their mixed tastes like a drug to his already hazed mind.  His leg pressed between her thighs, bringing a needy little whimper from her throat, muffled by the kiss, his knee rubbing against her clothed cock.  It was all too much for him to restrain.  A weak man he was, pleasure easily making him come undone, temptation too great to pretend that he was controlling himself anymore.

After a moment, she couldn’t help but move up into a straddling position, her hips resting right over his own and starting to rock slowly, grinding her covered hardness against his.  Moaning quietly into their kiss, she moved against him like this for a few minutes, before she broke the kiss and reached up to pull her hair to one side, dragging the nail of her thumb across the side of her exposed neck, flinching slightly as a small but deep cut appeared, blood trickling out of it immediately.

He nearly squirmed as the scent of her blood filled his nostrils, eyes widening and shimmering as he saw the blood seeping out of the cut.  As it started to drip down her shoulder, some of it spilling down onto his chest to mingle with his own, it was an instinct to lean up, breath hitching as he licked his lips absent-mindedly, but she placed her hand firmly right below his neck to stop him from making a move himself.  

"Tell me how much you want it." she purred.  "Beg for a taste.”

He reached out with his hand, trembling as he cupped her cheek, red strands tangling in between his fingers.  “ _Ma cherié_ …” he breathed, lying seemingly defenseless underneath her.  No more words came from him for a longer while, he shivered all over his body, swallowing loudly, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

"I want it…" finally he managed to speak, but he was barely even hearing the words coming from him, his own heartbeat pulsing loudly in his ears.  "I want it… more than anything.  Let me taste you… _ma déesse_ , you’re the only one I crave.  Let me, please… I want it, I _need_ it… but only if you say yes, only if you let me.”

He wasn’t smiling anymore, his expression a little delirious, but solemn.  “Grell…” he whined, arching his body up into the firm grip of her hand.  “ _Please_ …”

Grell couldn’t help but blush slightly at how sweetly he begged, bringing a smile to her lips from flattery and adoration.  She could only imagine how difficult it must have been for him to stay still at that moment, restraining himself from just taking what he wanted as she knew he could if he tried.  It must have gone against his very nature, every instinct he had.  All for her.  Her teasing and dominant attitude softened as these thoughts entered her mind, and she raised her hand to wet her fingers in her warm blood as it dripped down her neck, lifting them to her mouth and letting the bitterly metallic liquid cover her lips and tongue.  It was then that she leaned in and covered his mouth with hers, giving him an agonisingly small taste of what he wanted.

He didn’t care how needy he looked as he leaned in to the kiss desperately, capturing her mouth eagerly.  Something exploded inside his head as her tongue slipped into his mouth, the appetizer of what was hopefully awaiting him.

_But it was not enough._

After a moment, she pulled back, finishing the kiss with a loving little peck as she gazed into his eyes.  “Do you want more, _mon prince charmant_?" she breathed, tilting her head back and offering him her neck, blood still dripping from the cut.  "Take it, it’s yours."

_Mine._

Hearing her consent, he stopped pretending that he could have ever been stopped.  His lips covered the cut on her neck immediately, his hands pushing at her shoulders, rolling them over and pressing her back onto the bed.  He caught her wrists, pinning them to the mattress, his body resting heavily on top of her.  Though she made no attempt to struggle against him, she did squirm a bit at the strange sensation.  It felt odd at first, even a little uncomfortable to have her blood sucked from her skin, but as she started to get used to it, little waves of pleasure started to wash through her body.

Inhaling sharply through his nostrils, animalistic growl vibrating in his throat, he sucked at her neck, drinking as much blood as he could from such a small cut.  The taste was nothing like he imagined; it was so much better, comparable to nothing he had ever tasted.  Rich, exquisite, pure… in his wildest dreams he never imagined anyone having such flavour.

" _Mmh_ … yes, love, it’s yours… I’m yours." she whispered, giving a slight shudder at the noises he was making.  "Yeah… _mmh_ … all yours.”  Her hips started to rock needily after a while, the combined feelings of being pinned helplessly and having his lips sucking hard at the stinging cut in her neck were almost too much for her.  It wasn’t often that she met anyone who could physically overpower her like this, and it was terribly exciting.

His lips twitched, baring his teeth, and saliva filled his mouth, but it was all pure instinct.  Teeth scraped very lightly over her skin, just barely touching her as his tongue vigorously lapped at the seeping blood.  He didn’t dare to bite her.  His breathing was heavy and rapid, the predatory growl turning into a needy whine, his hunger still not satisfied, and his eyes turned black, but he didn’t dare to so much as nip at her skin with his teeth.

He needed to pull away, or he knew it would drive him crazy and he would forget himself.  One last, long suck, and he was lowering himself down her body, kissing along her chest and stomach as he went, letting go of her wrists.  Even then, her hands didn’t move from where they were, just clinging to the sheets tightly as she watched Shuu kiss his way lower and lower.  Soon his mouth stopped at the edge of her lacy panties, and his heart skipped a beat, head spinning at how intense her smell was between her legs.  Tearing a sharp gasp from Grell, he mouthed at her cock through the underwear, red lace soft against his lips, and he unceremoniously pressed his nose there, drawing in a deep breath, making the redhead shudder. _Mon dieu_ … he wanted more.

Fingers gently tickled the skin of her lower stomach, just above her underwear, and he looked up at the reaper.  “Can I?” he asked with a surprisingly steady voice.  She didn’t seem to be too modest as she dropped her dress before, but even so, he would never commit the indecency of exposing her for any kind of embarrassment.

It wasn’t a difficult choice.  It was barely a choice at all, in fact.  Her cock was twitching, desperate for attention.  “Yes.  Please, _please_ …” she whined, red faced and trembling.

His fingers hooked over the edges of her panties, and he pulled them down, slowly, almost meticulously, dragging them down her legs.  It could have been expected from him to nearly tear them off, to tug them down impatiently, as he was by now shaking with need, her taste and smell overwhelming, hazing his mind.  But instead, he slid them down with care, the act almost sacred as he gently lifted one of her legs to remove the underwear completely, and then did the same with the other one.  Grell propped herself up on her elbows as she watched him, an adoring expression on her flushed face.  

With just his fingertips, he traced over the lace pattern, looking closely at it.  For a moment it seemed that he'd completely lost interest in her, kneeling on the bed with her underwear in his hands, stroking the fabric almost lovingly.  And then he brought it up to his face, pressing his nose to it, and inhaling sharply, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he let out a soft whine. _Exquis._  Her eyes widened a bit and a shiver went through her.  As strange as it was, she felt an unusual sense of pride at how pleased he was by her scent.  

In the next second it was as if he suddenly awoken from a trance.  Abandoning the underwear, he hastily settled between Grell’s legs, kissing up from her knee, trailing his lips along her thigh quickly.  Reaching her crotch, he parted his lips weakly, breathing heavily as he drew in her scent.  It was so intense in between her legs, that he could barely stand it.  The essence of her wonderful aroma was right before him, and his fingers dug almost painfully hard into the flesh of her thighs as he tried to compose himself somehow.  He failed spectacularly.

Hands sliding underneath her, he lifted her hips up from the bed, hooking her legs over his shoulders, as his nose traced along her groin.  Without a warning he buried his face between her legs, a startled squeak escaping her as he spread her cheeks slightly with his hands.  His breath was hot and damp against her sensitive skin, chest rising and falling rapidly as he drew in her scent.  It tore a grunt from him, that quickly evolved into a moan.  He traced his nose up from between her cheeks, sniffing her like an animal.  His parted lips, glistening with saliva, brushed over her sack, and he sucked at it lightly as his nose pressed at the base of her cock.  It drove him crazy, the taste, the scent, so intense, so prominent, so perfect, so much, _too_ much... silently, in his mind, he begged for more.

It was all so lewd and unexpected, but it felt incredible.  The reaper’s instinct was to lie back against the bed and close her eyes, but something about the completely shameless and animalistic way that he took in her taste and smell was just too deliciously twisted to look away from.  She simply couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

With a shaky sigh that tickled her skin hotly, he returned his attention to the soft flesh between her cheeks.  He stuck out his tongue slowly, it dripped with saliva, staining the sheets underneath them.  His lower lip was trembling, and so were his hands supporting Grell’s hips.  Finally, his tongue lapped at her entrance and he lost himself completely.  With an obscene, slurping sound he began circling her hole with his tongue, dragging it flat along the crack between her cheeks, lips pressing around her entrance and sucking greedily.

She collapsed against the sheets, eyes rolling back until her lids fell closed, a breathy whine escaping her.  The _noises_ that he made were just so thrillingly lewd that she could hardly think straight.  She could hardly bring herself to do anything, in fact, other than squirm and whine and clutch at the sheets for dear life.  

A furiously red blush covered his cheeks, but it was not a sign of embarrassment.  It was a frenzy, he was becoming drunk with her aroma and her flavour, he was positively losing his mind.  Or rather, he was long past that point.  She was worth all the effort he took that night to restrain himself, worth waiting for, so that he could experience what he did in that moment.  

“ _Tres bien_ …” he breathed weakly as he pulled away, eyes shimmering as in fever, cheeks dusted pink, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth.  Grell sighed in relief as the overwhelming sensations stopped, leaving her for a moment to lie there, a panting, quivering mess.  He raised his head to look up at her, and his eyes caught the pearly drop of precum that pooled at the tip of her cock.  Licking his lips, he shifted slightly, dragging his tongue along the underside of her shaft on his way, a breathless, needy cry escaping the redhead.  He licked over the sensitive spot just below the tip, and then very slowly and cautiously, he dipped the tip of his tongue into the small hole, making her gasp and her hips twitch slightly as he lapped off the precum.  

The movement of her hips brought him back down to earth.  For a moment there, he actually forgot he was pleasuring her, focused on satisfying his own need.  That was not an acceptable way to treat a lady, and so he took a deep breath to calm down a little, to focus his attention where it should be.  On her.

Seeking eye-contact, he graced her with a small, but genuine smile, wrapping his fingers around the base of her cock.  After a moment of panting helplessly, she let her eyes crack open a bit, meeting his gaze and returning his perfect smile with a weak but equally genuine one of her own.   _God, look at him_ … She felt her heart flutter at the sight.  Shuu actually felt a bit embarrassed for losing himself like that.  Looking up at her, at her beautiful, flushed face framed by crimson curls, he got overwhelmed by a completely new need; the need to bring the whole world down at her feet.  Starting with himself.

His other hand stroked her inner thigh gently as he contemplated this.  Her scent was still invading his nose intensely, and it was amazing, but it was also not going anywhere.  The habit of feeding on his victims hastily and greedily took over him at first, but that was also why she was so special.  They could share the pleasure for hours, he could satisfy both of their hungers at once, and for that he now had all the time in the world.

With that in mind, he dipped his head, wrapping his lips around the head of her cock, this time not letting the toe-curling flavour distract him.  The wet heat that enveloped her cock, already twitching desperately for attention, sent an immediate and intense pleasure through her that made her shiver and had her clawing at the sheets above her head as if her life depended on it.

His tongue teased the sensitive skin as he sucked around her cock, humming contently.  Fingers squeezing around the base, he bobbed his head slowly, letting his tongue slide flat along the underside each time he withdrew.  It wasn’t a problem for him to relax his throat enough to take her all in, and soon the tip of Grell’s length was hitting the back of his throat while he swallowed around it, his nose nuzzling into the skin of her lower stomach.  His name escaped her lips like an urgent plea, whispered so quietly between breathy moans that she wasn’t even sure that he heard her, and her back arched up a little, her entire body reacting to his touch.

Frankly, he could do it for hours.  Not only he was rewarded with very sweet noises of pleasure coming from Grell, but also he got to savour her taste, finding new thrill in letting it linger on his tongue for so long, feeding his need so slowly it made the shivers running through his body neverending.  He wished he could let her come like this, spill herself into his mouth so he could drink everything she would give him, fill his mouth with her essence… but he also knew there were many other, wonderful things he wanted to try, and each of them with the potential to bring her even more pleasure.

He let her cock slip out of his mouth, his lips reddened and trembling slightly, and he sucked at his fingers quickly.  His mind may have been set on a completely new course, but his body was still accustomed to old habits, so he was still drooling copiously, and it was easy to make his fingers all wet and slick.  Circling her entrance slowly with his index finger, he let his tongue wander along her shaft lazily, before pressing one finger inside, a small cry escaping her lips.  His finger slid inside with ease, smoothly going in up to the knuckle, and he twisted it slightly, feeling her insides quivering around it, before he started to move it in and out.  He took her cock back into his mouth, to distract her from any uncomfortable sensations that she could feel with this new stimuli, and immediately she was thrown back into that hot haze of pleasure.

“Ahh... Shuu…" she repeated, this time a bit louder, and so much more desperate as her hips rocked and twitched to his touch.  

His finger moved inside Grell with ease, sliding out of her slowly only to be pushed back again moments later.  Hearing her utter his name caused a delighted purr to rumble in his throat, as his mouth worked just as slowly on her cock.  He was quite proud of himself for maintaining such a teasing, lazy pace.  This whole ‘restraint’ thing was actually becoming fun, who would have thought?

Letting his tongue swirl around the head of her cock a bit quicker, he pulled away, slipping his finger out almost completely as well, only the tip remaining inside her.

"Yes, _cherié_?”  He spoke huskily, kissing the velvety skin of Grell’s length.  “Speak to me darling… your wish is my command.” he cooed before squirming the second wet finger into her, thrusting a little harsher this time.  Any words that Grell had thought to say were immediately pushed out of her mind as she felt the pleasant stretching, bringing a soft cry from her slightly parted lips.  She lay her head back against the sheets again, hands moving up to grip at the edge of the bed tightly.  It was so strange for an act that was usually so one-sided to be enjoyed by the giver just as much as the receiver, but there he was, taking in her taste as though she were giving him a gift; like it was some sort of privilege to be pleasuring her like this.  Just the thought of it alone was enough to drive her out of her mind with lust.  

Her tightness was such a delight to feel, clenching around his fingers, and he could only imagine how it would feel to penetrate her.  The thought only made him suddenly very aware of the pressure he felt in his own trousers.  His cock was rock hard from the moment he got to see her in just her underwear, and since then a dampness soaked through the fabric, causing a darker spot to bloom between his legs.  But he had to be patient; now it was time for his lady’s pleasure.  She had given him so much already; letting him taste her blood, letting him get drunk on her scent…  After all, she was worth waiting for even if it meant aching inside his pants for the whole night.

Closing his eyes, he distracted himself by leaving obscene kisses all over her wherever he could reach.  From the tip of her cock, where he once again got to taste that delicious precum, smearing it over his lips; through her soft sack where her smell made him linger for a longer moment, as he nuzzled his face there, sucking her balls gently into his mouth; then over her hip bones, and stomach, his tongue playing around her navel.  All this time his fingers were working inside her, pushing deep into her, scissoring as they were being pulled out, squirming inside her warmth as they stretched her for him.

She wished she could lie there and let him kiss every inch of her body and play with her like this until the sun came up, but she was already a weak, shivering wreck, and the redhead wasn’t exactly known for her patience.

A hand slid down to him, knuckles brushing over his cheek delicately before she rested her open palm against it, and she used her other hand to prop herself up slightly and look down at him with an expression of affection and longing.  “Come here.” she breathed.  She was going for a demanding tone but all of the dominance had left her the moment he’d got on top of her.  What came out instead was more of a needy, timid plea, her hand moving to the back of his head to urge him to come closer so that she could press her lips to his.

Their mouths were still smeared with each other’s blood as Grell kissed him as deep and hard as she could, making no attempt to hide her desperate desire for him.  Wanton moans were muffled by the kiss as his fingers continued to slide in and out of her.  Her patience had long expired.  “Please.” she whined against his lips,  “I’m ready for you.  I can’t wait any more, I want you.  Now.  Please, Shuu.”  The reaper, who had demanded that he beg just a short while ago, did just that.

"Your wish. My command." he answered softly in between kisses, a shiver running through him at the mere thought.


	5. Hot Blood * part 2

_"Their mouths were still smeared with each other’s blood as Grell kissed him as deep and hard as she could, making no attempt to hide her desperate desire for him.  Wanton moans were muffled by the kiss as his fingers continued to slide in and out of her.  Her patience had long expired.  “Please.” she whined against his lips,  “I’m ready for you.  I can’t wait any more, I want you.  Now.  Please, Shuu.”  The reaper, who had demanded that he beg just a short while ago, did just that._

_"Your wish. My command." he answered softly in between kisses, a shiver running through him at the mere thought."_

❈

Reluctantly, he pulled his fingers out of her, already pouting at the loss of this tight, warm feeling.  Grell groaned softly at the loss, before feeling her body relax a little.  She felt so empty so suddenly, it was heartbreaking.  God, she was so ready for him.  There wasn’t a single thing she could think of at that moment that she wanted more than to have him fill her up inside, his perfect, blood-stained body pressed against her own smaller frame.  Already, as she lay waiting for him, so many thoughts of the things she wanted to do to him, wanted him to do to her, went through her head that it was almost impossible to focus on one idea.  

Not breaking the eye-contact, his hand moved to open the belt of his trousers, then the button, then the zipper, all of it agonizingly slowly.  It was not his style to fumble with his clothing with trembling fingers, like an impatient virgin.  He wanted Grell to know that even driven half-mad with desire, he still had everything under control, that he was not going to lose it at some point, and bite her head off in frenzy.  No, _for her_ , he was able to contain even his most primal instincts.

Finally, to his own relief, he pushed his trousers down past his hipbones, getting rid of them completely, his shoes following along as he slid the clothing down his legs to toss it off the bed.  Breathing heavily, he chewed at his lower lip when he pulled down his underwear, at last freeing his aching erection.  In that moment, Grell’s thoughts cleared and her focus narrowed to just that.  She found herself biting her lip as she stared longingly at it.  She had a sudden urge to lean over and take it in her mouth, to taste him like he’d so gladly tasted her, to please him just as lovingly, to worship him back and see what sweet noises she could tear from him.

But that would have to wait.  Settling between Grell’s parted legs, Shuu lifted them a little, bending her knees.  He couldn’t take his eyes off her, spread before him, naked apart from her heels, which he had no intention of getting rid of, lovely pink blush merging with dark-red dried out blood on her skin.  He licked his palm, rubbing the tip of his cock to wetten it, sudden attention to his neglected member making his breath hitch.  Lifting her hips off the bed just a little, he positioned himself against her entrance, his tip brushing against the sensitive, quivering hole.

Grell held her breath in anticipation, before breathing a quivering sigh as finally, with a slight push of his hips, he pressed into her, grunting softly at the sensation.  There still was a bit of resistance, as his cock was _a bit_ more to take than the two of his fingers, but he kept pushing in, slowly sliding in deeper, encouraged by the way she spread her legs a little wider, and feeling how her heat accommodated him so willingly.

Even his newly discovered mastery in self-control couldn’t help to hold back the breathy moan that spilled from between his lips as he entered her.  Holding onto her hips, he looked down to marvel at the sight as his cock sank into her tight ass.  A couple more deep breaths, and several little moans later, he was buried inside her, balls deep, resting his forehead against her shoulder and panting heavily.  His heart pounded so fast and loud in his chest, that he was sure she could hear it, and in that moment he knew she owned it.

He was stretching her so nicely, filling her so perfectly, and so _slowly_ , that she couldn’t bring her mind to focus on anything but what was happening there and then; his hands holding her firmly as he pushed inside, his deep breaths and his _beautiful_ little moans harmonizing with her own needy whimpering.  Everything about this moment was perfect.   

Her hands slid behind him, one moving to wrap her arm around his waist and hold him tightly against her, the other moving up to bury her fingers in his soft hair as his head rested on her shoulder.  She left surprisingly chaste, delicate kisses anywhere she could reach; over his shoulder, up his neck, nipping at his ear lightly.  With half-lidded eyes and a content smile, he turned his head towards Grell, looking at her without speaking a single word, just admiring, just being with her.  The gaze was so intimate and tender that it made her blush.

Even after all they had already done up to this point, it was that shared look that really made her heart flip and her cheeks glow the brightest shade of red.  She wasn’t used to moments like these.  In her long life, her search for love had lead her down many heartbreaking roads.  She was under no illusion that she was an easy woman to love, or even tolerate most of the time, and most of her endeavours had lead to her either being rejected or used.  Or both.  

But this was different; he wanted her, and accepted her.  In fact, it had seemed at times that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.  And there was so much he could use her for, or take from her, that she knew he wanted.  But he didn’t.  Instead he handled her like she was something delicate and precious; kissed her slowly and deeply; worshipped her with his hands, lips and words.  It had been a long, _long_ time since the reaper had been new to sex, but it was definitely the first time it felt like this.  

His hand moved up to brush a red curl away from her face, twisting it around his finger playfully.  Placing his palm gently on her cheek, he lifted his head and hovered over her for a moment, before pressing their lips together.  Their mouths and chins still stained with blood were a contrast to the tenderness of this kiss.  He was sliding his lips against her slowly, slipping his tongue into her mouth to lazily drag it along her own, and then over her lower lip, savouring the kiss as if it was meant to be their last.

Without breaking the kiss, he made a small, experimental movement of his hips that made Grell gasp and squirm.  He didn’t even pull out of her more than maybe an inch, it wasn’t really a thrust, just a lazy roll of his hips.  Feeling her tight heat quivering around him, he hummed against her mouth, giving another small roll.  It was a heavenly feeling, and he continued like this, rocking his hips at first oh-so-slowly, giving a shallow movement every few seconds, to gradually speed up until he reached a mild, steady pace.  His hand slid down her hip and along her thigh, grabbing Grell’s leg underneath her knee, and lifting it to wrap it around his waist.

Barely even pulling away from her lips, he rested his forehead against hers, his hips twitching as he was pulling his cock out of her to then thrust back in, his movements careful and controlled, which surprised even him.  But he wanted to hear her soft breathy moans, to hear her whine his name with a trembling voice, to hear her purr contently and feel her squirm underneath him.  Even he sometimes wished for simple things, and in that moment he just wanted the closeness, the trust she graced him with, and her affectionate touch, and loving look in her eyes.  For hours.  Or forever.

The room was filled only with the sounds of their heavy breathing, their quiet but needy whimpers, and the gentle creaking of the mattress as he slid steadily in and out of her, her own hips rocking to meet his, trying to take more of him in if possible.

It was maddening, but in such a good way, to take her slowly, bit by bit, to savour each little noise she made, to feel her soft skin pressed against his.  His head was spinning lightly, muscles of his shoulder, his back, and legs, flexing rhythmically as he was enveloped by complete and intoxicating pleasure.  Her breathing was giving him air, her heartbeat was making his own blood rush through his body, her smell filled him in, and he couldn’t tell anymore where his own being ended and her began, as if they were one.  The reaper’s trembling hands slid down his back to grip his ass, bringing a slight smirk to the ghoul’s lips, pulling him hard against her each time her hips rose to meet his.  It felt like having him as deep inside her as possible was the most important thing in the world right then.

“ _Ma cherié, la déesse… unique au monde_.”  He was babbling with husky voice, nuzzling his nose against her own before pressing it to her neck, just below her ear.  “Say my name so sweetly as you did before… let it spill from your lovely lips so I can hear how my lady wants me.” he pleaded quietly, sniffing her neck and peppering it with warm kisses.  Her skin dampened a little as small drops of sweat started to form in the crook of her neck and above her collarbones, and he hungrily traced along her flesh with his tongue, once again relishing her extraordinary flavour.

With a soft grunt, he made one deep, harsher thrust, forgetting himself for a moment and allowing his teeth to nip at the skin of Grell’s neck.  But she didn’t seem to protest, and that encouraged him to be bolder.  Somehow, although their movements became rougher, it didn’t feel any less loving or intimate.  It felt _more_ so, in fact.  His fingers were still caressing her skin ever so lightly, as if she was made of the finest porcelain, hand sliding along her thigh in an almost soothing manner, all the while his mouth got rougher on her, his hunger awoken once again.  Kisses became nips, and nips became bites, still careful and not too deep, but hard enough to left reddened bruises as his lips suckled on her pale flesh.

“Shuu… Sh-… Shuu…” she whimpered into his ear, those little bites to her skin so teasing and careful that it made her shudder.  Along the way, his thrusts became gradually faster and more forceful as well.  He could feel her ass clenching around him as he moved, rocking his hips a bit erratically as his mind hazed with lust and need, the most lewd moans escaping him each time his lips were pulling away from her, just to soon find another patch of skin to worship.

She suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to feel it _more_.  She wanted every little sensation to be felt deeper, and more intensely, even the painful ones.  And more than anything she wanted to give him everything that he wanted.

"Bite me." she demanded in a soft, breathy voice.  " _Really_ bite me.  I want it.   _Please_.  Sink your teeth into my flesh and taste me like you want to.”  Perhaps it was a bold move.  She wasn’t sure if offering him such a thing was pushing him too far, testing his restraint, but right now her thoughts were cloudy, and all she wanted was to give him what he craved.

Buried deep inside her, his movements suddenly halted, and he asked himself whether he really heard it, or was he really going mad?  Pulling slightly away, he pushed himself up on his arms, looking down at Grell with widened, restless eyes.  Breathing heavily, he parted his lips, not able to control trails of saliva that appeared in the corners of his mouth.

"Can I?" he asked weakly, his voice barely more than a breath, not enough for a whisper.  His lower lip trembled, and he swallowed hard.  "C-Can I really?"  This time it was louder, but his voice cracked into an embarrassing whine.  Grell gave him a reassuring smile, her blood soaked features softened into a loving expression, though there was a slight hint of nervousness to be found there as well.  

His eyes scanned her neck and shoulder, light skin beautifully decorated with small bruises and love bites.  He couldn’t do it.  He couldn’t tear up this perfect, soft skin…

 _Bite me_.

Ah, but she asked.  She demanded.   _La déesse_ …  Her wish, his command.

He reached behind him to take one of her hands, kissing her knuckles lovingly, and then he trailed his kisses up her arm, his hips starting to move again.  Lips reaching her shoulder, he breathed hotly against her skin, thrusting into her faster, his excitement becoming more and more apparent.  Faster, deeper, harder, he needed her desperately… to be inside her, to claim her, to _devour_ _her_.  Her free hand slid up to hook around his waist, clinging to him almost like a comfort blanket as she prepared herself for the bite.  

It wouldn’t be like the boy in the alley, she knew that.  She wouldn’t pass out or scream for help through the pain.  She was stronger than that.  It would take a lot more than a couple of love bites to get the best of her.  But still, she felt as nervous as she was excited.  

Tangling their fingers together, with his last conscious thought Shuu squeezed her palm reassuringly, and she closed her eyes and held her breath as she prepared herself, before finally his teeth sank into the soft, delicate flesh between her shoulder and her neck.

 _Magnifique_.

At first she felt more of a shock than anything else, but as the pain quickly started to flood the area, her mouth opened into a silent scream, not even a breath escaping.  It was a moment before finally something between a scream and a moan escaped her, followed by a few frantic deep breaths.  The pain was immense, almost overwhelming, but somehow her cock twitched and throbbed in response.  Yes, there was definitely something like pleasure that accompanied the pain, and it grew by the second.  Her nails clawed at his skin, those on one hand dragging across his back hard and deep enough to almost draw blood, though she had already become too weak to do any real damage.  Her other hand tightened on his so hard that her knuckles turned white.

He heard her making some sort of noise, but he couldn’t know for sure, because his heartbeat pounded loudly, pulsing madly in his ears.  Her blood squirted from underneath his teeth, spilling in hot streams into his mouth, against his lips, over her skin, and he inhaled sharply through his nose.  Tongue lapping at the thick liquid, he bit down harder, and in the next second he could feel her skin breaking, flesh tearing apart, almost melting in his mouth...  so delicious, so exquisite…

A low growl rumbling in his throat, he pulled away from her, a sharp squeal escaping her as his teeth tore off a patch of flesh, strings of muscles popping broken.  He opened his eyes, black and completely mad with desire, shimmering as he looked down at her, piece of meat hanging from his mouth, dripping blood down on her face and neck.  He greedily sucked it into his mouth, chewing and milling it with his tongue, shaking all over his body from the sensation.  Finally he swallowed, a shiver running down his spine, exploding inside him like an electric spark.  For this whole time he was not aware that his hips kept moving on their own accord, pounding into her as his pleasure arose to the point where he simply stopped thinking, his mind blind for anything that was not Grell’s delightful, heavenly tasting flesh against his tongue.

Tears were streaming from her eyes now, even though they were closed so tightly.  She could feel a hot energy pooling in the area of the bite as her body tried to repair itself, and her small frame twitched and squirmed, almost convulsing underneath him.

The entire experience was overwhelming, neither bad nor good, or maybe a whole lot of both, and for a long moment, she couldn’t focus on anything else, just the beautifully agonizing sensations that pulsed through her body.  Her loud cries slowly quieted into exhausted whimpers as her nerves began to heal first.

His head fell back, eyes rolling back as his eyelids fell closed heavily, and once again he became aware of his hand holding onto Grell’s.

"Thank you…"  It came out of him in such trembling voice, that it sounded like he was going to pass out any second.  He looked back down at her, his eyes still black as he was not able to contain the hunger that awoken at the appetizer he just had.  His eyes ran over the tattered skin of her shoulder, the wound that he made, and blood that bloomed red against her skin and sheets beneath her.  As he leaned in again, it looked that he was going to keep biting, keep _eating_ , but instead, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her hard and long as she trembled underneath him, before he spoke against her lips.  “Please forgive me.”

His words reminded her who she was with, and how much she had wanted to please him, and a rush of pride hit her, along with a warm glow of affection.  “Did you like it?” she whispered breathlessly, teary eyes opening just enough to meet his.

She was so pure and perfect like this, enduring the pain _for him_ , and then asking if he _liked_ it.  Shuu worshipped her lips with soothing kisses, not able to speak for a longer moment.  His trembling hand rested against her cheek, affectionately stroking wet trails left by her tears.  She instinctively leaned into his touch, a weak but loving smile forming on her lips.  

"I loved it." he whispered finally, shuddering all over just for the memory, "I loved it… _loved it_ … I love… agh, Grell…” it was obvious that he was barely thinking straight, feverish thoughts were running through his head, not allowing him to focus.  “…You are… ah, I have no words.”  He gave up finally, knowing that whatever he would say won’t be able to express what he felt.  She wouldn’t understand anyway perhaps, the overwhelming, fulfilling sensation that a ghoul felt once his hunger was satisfied, and by something so delicious, so exquisite, something that was teasing his senses for long before, stroking his cravings.  Nevertheless, she felt such a strong sense of pride and satisfaction at his praise.  Seeing how happy she had made him in that moment was easily worth the pain it took.  

As embarrassed as he was to admit it, it not only satisfied the hunger of his stomach.  Pleasant tingling pooled in his loins, moving down straight to his cock.  He knew he lost control for a while there, that he hurt her, and her tears were making his heart clench… But also in some twisted way, the fact that she let him do it, that she gave it all to him willingly, made him throb almost painfully inside her, and his hips twitched with needy, shallow thrusts.  He just needed friction, like an animal in heat, and his face flushed red because it was undignifying for both of them, but he couldn’t stop.

Still holding onto her palm, he lifted their hands to wrap Grell’s arm around his neck.  He sat up straight, pulling her up with him to sit on his lap, as he supported her back carefully.  Letting her rest limply against him and drape her arms loosely over his shoulders, he nuzzled his face into soft, red strands.  Hips rising rhythmically, he resumed thrusting into her, letting her bounce against his lap with no effort from her side as he held her in his arms protectively.

Her shattered flesh glistened with fresh blood, still coming from the wound in tiny trails running down her skin, decorating her like cracks on the surface of an old masterpiece, making it so much more valuable and unique.  Resting their foreheads together, he grunted softly, parting his lips to let out little sighs and breathy moans that he couldn’t suppress anymore.  In that moment he knew that she had become his.

For a while, all she could do was nuzzle her face into his neck, panting and whimpering along with his thrusts, but after a few minutes, once her nerves had fully repaired themselves and her skin was almost healed over, her own hips started to roll weakly against his, arms tightening around his shoulders for balance.

As time went on and her energy started to return to her more and more, the needy throbbing and aching in her cock became more prevalent than the stinging in her neck, and suddenly all she wanted in the world was to come with him; to feel his body tensing and shuddering against hers as he filled her with his seed.  The thought of this was making her cock twitch in excitement as it rubbed between their bodies.  Grell started to leave lazy, sloppy kisses all over his neck and shoulders, one hand moving up to bury her fingers in his hair while the other reached down to grab his ass and encourage him to go deeper, harder.

“ _Mmh_ … Shuu…” she breathed hotly into his ear,  “ _Harder_ , please, I can take it.”

She felt so small and fragile in his arms as he rocked her up and down upon his lap.  Obviously, he knew that she is not a fragile, weak woman; a smile crept onto his face at the memory of her hand slapping his cheek, and the endearing fury in her eyes as she’d thrown her shoes at his face.  She was everything but fragile.  That’s why it felt so nice to see her other face in this moment.  It made him feel special that she allowed herself to be like this around him.  So alike they were in this… and he had a feeling that they could grow to love each other’s darker sides.

Such lovely, needy whimpers tickled his ear, her arms holding onto him tightly, lips gracing him with kisses…  She was one of a kind indeed, a beast whisperer who decided to embrace the predator instead of running away.

She didn’t have to tell him she could take it, he knew that.  So alike they were in their need, their passion, their madness… shared by two.  Hands sliding down to rest on her hips, he thrust up, pushing her down onto him at the same time.  Needier, louder cries escaped her as he penetrated her as deep as he could, snapping his hips so hard they slapped obscenely loud against her skin, he clenched his jaw and trembled slightly.  Fingers tightened against her skin, digging into her hips as he repeated the movement, and then again, and again…

Soon drops of sweat appeared on his back as he pounded into her, pulling her down onto his cock forcefully with each thrust.  She pressed her lips to his neck, just below his jaw, sucking on the soft skin to muffle the desperate noises he had her making.  His hands moved to knead her ass, spreading her cheeks for her to take even more of him if possible.  Her cock was leaking against their stomachs, trapped between their bodies, and he sneaked his hand to rub the tip, catching the fluid onto his fingers and making her shiver.

He brought his hand up to his lips, sucking and licking at his digits, moaning and humming contently at the taste, before his wetted hand wrapped around her length.  Already she could feel that warm pressure pooling in her lower abdomen, alerting her that she was getting close to the edge, when his hand on her cock brought a high-pitched, breathy moan from her throat, muffled against his skin.  

Squeezing her throbbing cock, he relished in the music of the noises she was making, and he became eager to tear more of them from her.  His hips didn’t slow down even for a second as his palm began stroking her teasingly, fingers running oh-so-lightly over the velvety skin.

Embraced by her tensing, shuddering body, wrapped in the hot air filled with her soft moans, enveloped by her heat, Shuu closed his eyes and let her name spill from between his lips.  Every breath he took evolved into a quiet murmur in which he kept repeating her name over and over again, and this name was pushing him closer to the edge.

Her hand tightened on his ass, hips speeding up as they rocked against his, wordlessly urging him to go faster and harder as her nails dug into the firm flesh slightly.  She grabbed a handful of his hair with her other hand, forcefully tilting his head back so she had better access to his neck, and left a trail of sloppy kisses up his throat, biting and sucking as she went.  Once she reached his jaw, she loosened her grip on his hair and tilted his head forward again so she could claim his mouth with hers, kissing him deep and hard.

She carried on like this for a little longer, riding him as hard as she could while her hands gripped him tightly and her mouth kissed him hot and hard, before she broke the kiss, lightly tugging his lower lip between hers as she did.  “Shuu… _Ahnn… Shuu_ … I’m so close… let’s come together… I want to feel you come in me…” she demanded, almost begged, her voice weak and a bit whiney against his lips, her eyes fixed to his intensely and desperately.  She continued quietly urging him to come for her, her words whispered lovingly between kisses.

She was meeting his thrusts halfway as she rode him, and his hand smoothly stroked her erection, squeezing her length and rubbing the slick tip.  He sighed deeply into the kiss, her body gradually becoming more desperate against him, hands clutching onto him tightly, cock throbbing impatiently.

His own hips began to lose their previous rhythm, twitching erratically as he tried to keep up with her fast pace, urged by the hand that dug into the flesh of his ass, pulling him against her.  Once she pleaded for their release, his world narrowed to the tight heat clenching around him, and he bit at his lower lip, shudder that ran through his body making him pound into her desperately hard.  He wished he could take her like this for hours, but he also couldn’t imagine anything sweeter than bringing his lady to completion.

Their whispers melted together as he began babbling in a low murmur, “Yes… yes _ma chérie_ … you make my blood boil, I can’t - _ahh_ … can’t wait any longer…”  His hand unconsciously sped up, moving up and down her length, his hips rolling on their own accord, frantic and trembling.  

The harder he pounded into her, and the faster he stroked her, the more her mind started to lose focus again, the sounds escaping her parted lips no longer forming words, but becoming uncontrollable cries and whimpers of pleasure.  She could barely think straight; all she could focus on were the overwhelming sensations pulsing through her body, the enchanting noises he made as he reached his peak, and the movements of her hips as she tried to get him there.  

Breathing so heavily that he was barely able to speak, he wrapped his arm around her waist tightly, and stole one more kiss before his body began tensing.  “I…I-I’m going to… _mnng Grell_ …”

And with that, he let his head fall back slightly, lips parting in a gasp that soon evolved into a silent cry.  For a couple of seconds his vision went white, head spinning as a wave of heat spilled inside his lower stomach, and in the next moment his moans were forming Grell’s name as if it was the only word he remembered.

Sudden spark of pleasure lit his urges with a bright flame once again, his hips thrusting up into her forcefully, as he rode through his orgasm.  His release spilled inside her, thick and hot, coming in long, sharp bursts.  Shuddering, he filled her up, his face flushed, drops of sweat running slowly down his back.  

This was all it took to push her over the edge, triggering her own climax.  Wave after wave of intense pleasure washed over her, sending shudders through her and making her squirm against him as her own warm finish gushed out over his hand and onto their stomachs.  The sound of him moaning her name as they rode out their climax together was without a doubt the most unforgettably beautiful thing she had ever heard.  She wanted to ask him to keep going, so she could hear her name in his voice over and over, but she couldn’t even form the words to ask.

What she experienced was by far the most mind-blowing, earth shattering orgasm she had felt in her centuries of existence, and as it started to finally subside, her loud cries of euphoria slowly turning into soft, weak whimpers, she felt the exhaustion of everything she had been through that night catching up to her, rendering her limp and blissfully exhausted against his body.

His mouth felt dry and sore as he became aware that he’d kept crying out her name.  Opening his eyes to slowly to look down at her, he marvelled at the sight before him, and his heart skipped a beat.

It was a few minutes of panting and clinging to each other tightly before she was even able to form a coherent thought.  She looked up at him with a flushed face and eyes half-lidded, and gave him a satisfied, loving smile before leaning up to press her lips to his in a kiss that was surprisingly chaste and delicate.  “That was incredible.”

 


End file.
